To Protect
by BlacKTea
Summary: AU As a boy Li Syaoran vanished. Disappeared. 14 years later he delivers a magical book to Kinomto Sakura telling her, “I’ve decided,” before pulling her into a conspiracy that not even Clow Reed could have foreseen.
1. Overture

A/N: I just realized I uploaded this without an author's note. I guess just want to say hi. This is my first time writing in this fandom. The second chapter is halfway done an d I've pretty much outlined the whole story in my head. Hopefully I'll update semi frequently. Lol

Disclaimer: I don't own many things and one of those things I don't own is Cardcaptor Sakura. I do have some really kickass hair though.

To Protect

Part I

Protecting Sakura: Overture

Kinomoto Sakura frowned intently at the book in her hands. A few minutes ago she'd entered a used book store near her school, As soon as she stepped through the threshold she felt a certain anticipation, but she was beginning to doubt it was because she wanted to read a book.

"That's not the book you want," a masculine voice informed her briskly from behind her.

Surprised Sakura jumped unbalancing herself and would have fallen into the book shelf in front of her if not for a strong arm that had wrapped itself around her middle. The book she had been holding fell to the ground with an innocuous thud. Sakura open her mouth to respond to the voice that had startled her only to realize she'd forgotten what they'd said to her. She then gasped and let out a soft, fearful 'hoe' as the arm holding her up and another arm slowly turned her around gently, but firmly turning her so her mildly alarmed green eyes were hit full force by cool amber ones.

The boy before her, the boy still holding her shoulders, was looking at her very intently. She felt almost as if he somehow knew everything about her. Like how yesterday she'd 'accidentally' broken the weird vase her father had bought a few weeks ago because the face on it disturbed her. She felt he could see her soul and she very much wondered what he thought about it. The bookstore was small and the isles were narrow. With the limited space she was almost leaning into the boy in front of her, She should have felt suffocated or at the very, least uncomfortable with an unfamiliar boy piercing her with a soul searing gaze. She probably should have even been scared, but she wasn't. She wasn't any of those things. She felt like time had stopped, as cliché as that was, and there was nothing she could do but look back into the boy's eyes. It wasn't too hard even though his messy brown hair threatened to cover them and he was more than a head taller than her. Those amber eyes called to her somehow, he seemed familiar.

"Who-who are you?" she whispered with difficultly because it felt like her tongue had forgotten how to shape words, her lips how to let them out.

"Li Syaoran," he answered promptly if without much fanfare.

Li Syaoran. She didn't recognize the name, but she already knew she'd never met this boy before. He surely would be much too hard to forget. "Why are you-" she asked having no idea what is was exactly that she wanted to know. Why are you here? Why did you look at me like that? Why are you still looking at me like that?

"I've decided," he explained unhelpfully.

"Decided what?!" Sakura asked bewildered raising her voice causing the few other customers in the shop to glance her direction.

"Come," he said shortly as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind obviously not content to wait for her to obey his order.

It was in that way Sakura found herself being dragged out of the store and through the familiar streets of Tomoeda. She knew that even if she hadn't been frightened before she should be so then, but she wasn't at all. There was something about the boy before despite his cool demeanor that made her feel safe.

"Where are we going?" she asked hesitantly. The boy didn't seem angry, but he certainly wasn't talkative.

"My place," her responded shortly. Li Syaoran was not a conversationalist and that was putting it kindly.

"Hoe?!" Sakura near shouted shocked. A boy was taking her to his house right after they met. Her best friend Tomoyo would have a field day.

"It's there," Syaoran told her never once slowly down or releasing her wrist.

"What is?"

"The book."

That's right. Back at the book store he said she didn't want the book she had been holding implying she wanted a different one.

"Ano, I don't really have any money on me. Back there I was just browsing for fun or-or something," she explained the last part confusedly because she really wasn't sure why she went into that shop. "I don't read that much. I appreciate your-help?" she finished unsurely. She didn't really know why he thought that she would like whatever book this was.

She was considering trying to say something that made more sense when Syaoran abruptly stopped in front of her causing her to bump into him. She noticed he was shaking and then she heard him laughing.

She could only watch dumbstruck as he turned to face her absently switching her wrist to his other hand. He seemed to be having trouble breathing he was laughing so hard. His face was completely transformed from the stone face he'd shown her back in the store. He looked younger. "Ano, what is so funny?" she asked puzzled.

For a second she thought he was going to laugh even harder, but he visibly reigned himself in and collapsed his mirth into a knowing smile and twinkling eyes. "You."

"Me?"

"Kinomoto Sakura the book is yours," he said simply before once again started pulling her to where she presumed he lived.

He knew her name. Somehow how he knew her name. And what did he mean about the book being hers? How could he have one of her books.

By the time they reached a nondescript three story apartment building Sakura's exuberant imagination had come up with several scenarios that were all highly unlikely. "Ne, Li-kun? You're not some type of stalker are you?" she asked curiously. The thought should have made her nervous she felt.

Syaoran unlocked the front door of the building letting go of her wrist. Then he waved her in. It wasn't until they were walking up the stairs together that he answered.

"I've been looking for you my whole life," he informed her bluntly.

"Hoe!" Sakura's eyes nearly widened out of their sockets. That was probably the most romantic thing a boy ever said to her. If Tomoyo were there she would be brimming over with excitement. If Toya were there he would be killing Syaoran. Toya was a big reason boys didn't often say romantic things to her. However, despite what his words could mean Sakura didn't think that the boy pulling her into his small sparsely furnished apartment meant them that way.

"Why?" Sakura asked his back as he disappeared into a room. His bedroom perhaps? Curious she surveyed the small living/dining/kitchen room she was in that obviously took up most of his apartment. She couldn't find a single personal item anywhere. He looked like Syaoran had just moved in or even had yet to move in. There was a table and a chair and not any other furniture.

"I had your book," Syaoran said from behind her causing her to spin around.

"Huh?"

"The reason I was looking for you was so I could give you your book. Give you this," he elaborated as he handed her a large, red book with a clasp. The book looked ancient and looked very beaten up, Dark stains appeared all over the front and the back covers. The front cover read 'The Clow'.

"This isn't mine. I've never seen this book before," Sakura said sadly to Syaoran who was still smiling still foregoing his cold mask. Which face, she wondered, did he wear more often.

Syaoran raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "So?"

"So it's not mine," Sakura repeated.

"No, it's yours," he insisted.

"Is not."

"Is."

"I think I would know," she snapped.

"Apparently not," he said mildly his smile widening.

"Why do you think it's mine," she demanded with one hand on her hip and the other holding 'her' book.

"Because it is," he answered infuriatingly.

"That's not a good reason," she nearly growled. He was teasing her about who-knew-what. Why did he really want her to have to book?

"Who needs good reasons?" he inquired cheekily. "It's yours take it."  
"Well, if you insist, I'll consider it a gift," Sakura said deciding to surrender, but Syaoran would have none of that.

He shook his finger at her as if scolding her for staying out past curfew. "No, no. It can't be gift if it's already yours," he told her solemnly.

"But-"

"But I _can_ give you something," he told her his smile shifting into an odd smirk.

"No, no, Li-kun, I don't really want-"

"I've decided," he said cutting her off.

"Yes, you said that earlier," Sakura grumbled, but didn't say anything else when his face became serious.

"I've decided you can have me."

"Hoe?!" Sakura left her mouth hanging open. There were no words. She felt a warm breeze blow around her for a second, but was too alarmed to really notice.

He gave her a thoughtful look. "That's a rather cute noise you make," he commented as almost clinically.

Sakura blushed. "Stop saying things like that!" she nearly whispered embarrassed.

"Like what?" he asked her clueless. People thought _she_ was dense.

"Never mind. And I can't _have _you as you put it," she said with difficulty because she never thought she'd have to say something so obvious.

"You already do. Can't undo it now. And have seemed the best way to put it," he said with a shrug.

"What if I don't want to own you," Sakura asked dismayed.

"I would certainly hope not," he replied.

"What? But you just said," she said hotly started to become angry from talking in circles.

"You don't _own_ me. I'm simply allowing you to posses me," he informed her calmly.

"I don't really see any difference," Sakura said tired and frustrated.

Syaoran shrugged again. "I'm sure you will," he said indifferently and then as an after thought he added, "Eventually."

Sakura collapsed into his one chair and laid 'her' book on his one table. "You're not making any sense," she moaned through her hands as she laid her head in them.

"Well, I'm not overly concerned with such matters," he quipped leaning against the wall two feet away from where Sakura was sitting.

"Where did you come from? The insane asylum?!" she near wailed throwing up her arms in vexation. Li Syaoran was not normal at all.

"I was born in Hong Kong," he said quietly.

"Hong Kong?" Sakura frowned. Why would a boy from Hong Kong be looking for her? She was just an average Japanese girl. There was no reason they ever needed to cross paths.

"I have not been there for a while," he said slowly. His eyes seemed to be looking at something very far away. Sakura almost felt like she was alone in the small apartment.

"How long?" Sakura waited anxiously for him to answer her, but he remained silent. "How long since you've been home, Li-kun?" she asked again a little more urgently. He made it sound like he'd been gone for a couple months, maybe a year or two.

"It's been about 14 years I guess," he said as if he himself wasn't quite sure.

"14 years! Where have you been then?"

"Asia. Africa. The Middle East. Australia. Lot's of places," he said off handedly.

Sakura looked around his apartment observing the complete lack of personal affects again. Was there nothing simply because he didn't have anything. Because he was some sort of vagabond. "Why, Li-kun? Why? Why aren't you home?"

"I already told you. I had to give you your book," he reminded her easily.

Sakura frowned. She doubted it was that simple. "Are you going to go back now? Now that I have the book?" Sakura asked. The idea of him leaving filling her with an odd sense of loss. They just met it shouldn't matter if they parted.

He shook his head and sent her a rueful smile. "I won't be going anywhere for a while, but," his smile disappeared, "I will go back. I promised to return and my mother, she promised to be there."

Sakura shivered. He sounded almost sad when he said that.

"Ano-"

"But that is for a different time. I think you should open your book. It would be best to start as soon as possible," he instructed coldly obviously trying to distance himself from the previous conversation.

"Start what?" Sakura asked warily sending suspicious looks at the book on the table and the boy that had given it to her.

"Who knows?" Syaoran said sounding like it didn't really matter to him.

"You don't know!" Sakura was angry. "Are you playing some sort of joke on me?"

He gave her a strange look. "It would be a rather odd joke, I think."

"It's odd regardless, Li-kun," Sakura ground out.

He sent her a small smile. "Indeed."

Sakura sighed and examined the book. Before it had looked rather ragged, but it looked brand new now. "Eh, Li-kun, wasn't the book more battered before?" She could have sworn it was. She wasn't going crazy. Someone had to be sane and Li certainly was not the boy for the job.

"Yes. It was," he responded happily.

"And?" she said pointedly.

"And what?"

"And why is not now?" she nearly screamed. This was ridiculous. She had to spell _everything_ out. She didn't understand how a person could be so dense.

"It's your book." His expression implied that _that_ explained everything, but she had to disagree.

"So I've been told, but what does that have to do with it fixing itself?" Sakura was feeling increasingly aggravated.

"It didn't fix itself."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then how did it happen?"

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"How did it get fixed?!" she yelled at the end of her rope.

"Oh, that."

"Yes, _that_!"

A long silence fell between them. Sakura looked at him expectantly and he just looked at her: just looked. After five minutes, then ten minutes had gone by Sakura's patience fled her.

"Aren't you going to answer me?"

"I didn't know you wanted an answer."

"Why would I ask if I didn't want to know?!"

"Never thought of it that way," he said thoughtfully.

Sakura jumped out of her seat. "Tell. Me. Now!" she said lowly.

"It's because it's your book. I already said."

"But how does that have to do with anything!" Sakura started pacing between the short distance between Li and the table basically spinning in circles.

"It has to do with everything. If you open the book maybe you will find someone who'll be more direct," he said mysteriously.

"Find someone? Someone? We're the only ones here!" Sakura stopped mid pace facing Li.

Li shrugged. Fed up Sakura grabbed the book and carelessly opened the clasp and threw open the cover. The next thing she knew she was knocked to the ground when what appeared to be tarot cards jettisoned themselves out the book. "Hoe!!"

"You could say that," Li commented mildly as the bright light that had accompanied the cards' departure faded.

"What just happened?"

"Oh, no. It seems you have released the Clow Cards. Now you have to capture them before a disaster falls upon this world," he said sarcastically dull.

Sakura glared up at him from her position on the floor. "You tricked me!" She jumped to her back onto her feet in fury.

"I did?" Li looked genuinely taken aback.

"You knew that was going to happen?" she accused.

"So?"

"So! You didn't warn me."

"Well your face just then was too adorable to miss out on."

"Stop it!" Sakura was blushing madly.

"Stop what?"

"You seem like you're flirting with me," she mumbled suddenly finding his floor very interesting.

"I _am _flirting with you," he stated seriously.

"Hoe?"

"Yes, yes." He nodded like she given him an intelligent answer.

"But why?" Sakura was puzzled. Did that mean he was flirting with her earlier too. It hit her then. She was a some guy's apartment and he was flirting with her. It was almost a date or something. He even gave her gift. Two if she counted him which she didn't. That was just too weird. Tomoyo was going to _flip_ when she told her.

"You're cute and."

"And?"

"Are you fishing for compliments?" he teased.

"No! Of course not!" she said hurriedly causing him to chuckle.

"I did not think I would wake up to find _this_," said a voice which sounded mildly disgusted from behind Sakura.

Slowly she turned around to see a stuffed animal floating above her new, empty book. It was a golden yellow color and cute little wings on its back. It's tail had a white poof of the end. "Ano," she said completely and utterly unsure of what to say.

"Kerberos. I hope you slept well," Li said in a respectful tone.

"You know him!" Sakura said incredulously.

Li shrugged. "I've heard of him."

"Oh, so I see my reputation proceeds me. Allow me introduce myself. I am Kerberos Guardian Beast of the Seal. I was created by the great Clow Reed," he said in what Sakura decided was supposed to be a strong pose, but all she could see was a cute stuffed animal.

"Your name is Kerberos?" she verified her brow furrowed.

"Yup," the small creature confirmed.

"Can I call you Kero-chan?" she asked her eyes at little starry.

"What?! No!" Kerberos denied outraged. "I'm Kerberos a beast to be feared! This isn't my true form. My true form is impressive."

"But you're so cute. Cute things need cute names, Kero-chan," she explained to him.

Kero turned to Li. "Hey, Kid tell her I'm not cute. Explain why only my full name captures my essence."

Li studied him for a long second. "She's the new Mistress of the Cards and therefore your new mistress. She can call you what she wants," he said casually, but his amused eyes gave him away.

Kero stewed. "I guess, but still-"

"Ano, Li-kun what do you mean by 'the Mistress of the Cards'?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

Li turned to Kero and motioned for him to explain.

"Well you see, um, what's your name?" Kero started.

"Kinomoto Sakura."

"Well, you see Sakura. In the book you just opened are 52 magical cards. Since you could open the book they're destined to belong to you."

"You mean the cards that flew away?" she asked.

"Yes, them." The was a sharp pause. "WHAT! What do you mean 'flew away'? There right here. In the book!" he said desperately, but a quick look proved his lie. "There gone! What did you do? Why did they leave?" he asked suspicious.

Sakura held up her hands defensively. "I just opened the book and they burst out."

"You didn't do anything else?"

"No."

Kero glared at her. "Are you sure."

"P-positive, Kero-chan," Sakura said nervously.

"She telling the truth Kerberos," Li said suddenly.

Kero swivel his attention to the boy who seemed to be around Sakura's age. "By the way Kid. Just who are you exactly? She called you Li. Are you from the Li Clan?"

The boy shrugged. "I suppose. My name is Li Xiao Lang."

"That would explain how you know about me," Kero continued.

Li shook his head. "Not really."

"Then how?" Kero demanded.

"That's a secret," Li told him sternly.

Kero examined him critically. "There is something not quite right about you, but I can sense you have strong magical powers."

"Is that so," Li asked curiously.

"Ano, Kero-chan, Li-kun, what do we do about the cards?"

"You'll have to recapture them," Li said.

"It's the only way," Kero agreed.

"But-"

"Don't worry I'll help you," Li assured her.

"But I don't know-"

"If you don't capture the cards you family and friends and even the whole town could be in danger," Kero added gravely.

"Hoe. Well I guess I don't want the to happen, but-"

"Then it's settled," Kero exclaimed. "Key of Clow, there is someone wishing for a contract with you. Her name is Sakura. Oh Key! Grant her the power! RELEASE!"

A key that looked like a winged bird head floated in floated inn front of Sakura seeming to appear from nowhere. "Hoe? What's that?" she asked as she plucked the object out of the air. "You say it's a key? What does it open?"

"Actually it transforms into the Sealing Wand and allows you to capture and use Clow Cards," Kero replied.

"Capture? Use? I don't know. Are sure you want me to do it? What about Li-kun? Can he do it?" Sakura asked nervously.

"He can't because he didn't open the book! If he tells you he deserves the book because of his family you tell him to shove off!" Kero growled angrily.

Sakura sweat dropped. "Er, Kero-chan. Li-kun gave me the book."

For a long moment Kero looked at her with disbelief before turning suspicious eyes to Li. "Is that true Kid? I can't really imagine the Li Clan giving a magic book like Clow Reed's to anyone for any reason."

It was autumn and neither Li nor Sakura had turned on any lights. In the dwindling daylight streaming through the living rooms only window Li's amber eyes seemed to gleam mischievously. "Well you could almost say the Li Clan doesn't know about my delivery."

"They don't know!" Kero screeched.

"Well by now everyone knows. The magic released when the book met its true master, or in this case mistress, was enormous, but they have no idea about my involvement. They probably think I'm dead," he said rubbing his chin thoughtfully his face looking almost amused.

"Why does your family think your dead?" Kero asked menacingly.

"They haven't heard from me in 14 years," Li said casually as if it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Hoe! You didn't tell me you never contacted your family!" Sakura said appalled. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to go fourteen years without her dad or even her older brother.

"It doesn't matter. You should go outside. I believe there is a Clow Card there."

"He's right Sakura I can sense it too. This can wait. Let's go!" Kero declared as he flew to the door impatiently. Sakura would have probably have stood there stunned for a few minutes, but Li didn't give her the option. Once again he grabbed her wrist and dragged her out the door. By the time she decided to protest they were already on the street and a giant bird was dive bombing her. She was able to dodge the first dive, but then she tripped and could only watch horrified as the giant birds talons came at her faster than she could blink.

And then she watched confused as the bird flew claws first into an invisible wall. The bird seemed puzzled too and gave the 'wall' a few inquisitive almost gentle pecks. Then the bird turned its gaze to Li who had been standing next to her. It made a motion of its head in her direction and squawked questioningly. Li seemed to understand because he just folded his arms and nodded.

The bird then turned its full attention on her. Slowly it walked curiously graceful on its feet that weren't meant to walk the land. The invisible wall had disappeared as mysteriously as it had come and it was only a matter of seconds until the bird had its face inched from hers.

Sakura could only manage an awed 'hoe' as she looked into the bird's oddly intelligent eyes. The bird then seemed to laugh at this before backing up a step before it bowed before her. At least she thought it was.

"Er, guys, what's it doing?" she asked a little alarmed.

"It seems the card is going to let you capture it," Kero said sounding unnerved. "Fly shouldn't be that easy to capture, but I guess we shouldn't complain. Do you know why it's doing this, Kid?" Kero asked with narrowed golden eyes directed at Li.

"Yes," Li said simply. It was obvious he didn't plan on saying anything else though.

"Okay, how do I capture it?" Sakura asked Kero eyeing the giant bird before her. She didn't have anywhere in her house big enough to keep it.

"First you must turn your key into the sealing wand. Repeat after me. Key that hides the power of the dark."

"Key that hides the power of the dark."

"Reveal your true form before me."

"Reveal your true form before me."

"I Sakura command you under our contract. Release!"

"I Sakura command you under our contract. RELEASE!"

The key started extending and was soon a staff with what looked like a bird head on top.

"Good job Sakura," Kero complimented. "Now all you have to do is hold your staff in front of Fly and say 'Return to the guise you were meant to be in. CLOW CARD!'"

Sakura nodded and followed his instructions. Slowly at first and then with increasing speed Fly dissolved into ribbons of light which condensed into a shimmering rainbow rectangle which after moment returned to tarot card with a bird on it. The card looked torn and had a large dark stain on it, but as soon as she took hold of it the card seemed renew itself and the damages disappeared.

"Li-kun! That's what happened before!" she said confused.

Li just nodded while Kero asked her what she meant.

She explained the original poor condition of the book and then it mysterious revival.

Furious Kero turned to the Kid. "What's going on because it's obvious you know something."

"You are correct Kerberos," Li acceded with a small smile on his face.

"So?" Sakura said eventually.

"So what?" Li asked innocently.

"Aren't you going to tell us?" Kero demanded.

"No."

"Why not?!"

"That's a secret." Li stood there in in growing darkness the sun had almost completely set and he seemed very distant covered in shadows.

"Hey kid you can't just-" But Sakura cut him off.

"Is this something we'll find out eventually too," Sakura asked him kindly. Li was now her friend. It was not right to distrust friends.

"Correct. I'll go retrieve your book for you. You should probably should be heading home soon. Wouldn't want your dad or brother to worry now, would we? Especially the brother, ne?"

He was already in his building before Sakura thought to ask him how he knew about her family.

"That Kid is up to something. You should be wary of him," Kero told her seriously.

"Li-kun is my friend, I think. I trust him. He means us no harm I'm sure," Sakura said confidently. Somehow she knew she had nothing to fear from Li.

"Sakura you seem very trusting, but some people aren't who they appear to be."

Sakura smiled at him. "Like you Kero-chan?" she asked impishly.

"Yes. I mean, no! It's not the same," he said frantically causing Sakura to burst out into giggles.

She was still laughing when Li returned a minute later with her book.

"Good night," he said before turning around and heading back towards the building.

"Wait! Li-kun!"

Li stopped, but didn't turn around.

"Thank you because somehow I know you helped me," Sakura said her voice losing volume as she continued almost whispering towards the end.

It seemed Li wasn't going to respond for he continued to walk towards the front door, but right before he entered the building he said, "It was nothing," before clicking the door closed.

Sakura looked at the closed door for a while before looking intently at the card in her hand.

"Ne, Kero-chan?"

"It's Kerberos and what?" Kero demanded grumpily.

"Can I use this card to fly?" It almost seemed impossible to her, but.

"Yes you can!"

Later when Sakura was soaring through the skies above Tomoeda looking down from a new angle where she had resided her whole life, when Kero seemed to have left his bad mood behind, when Sakura was sure someone was watching her, but nobody was listening she said, "Somehow I don't think it's going to amount to nothing, Li-kun."

"What?" Kero asked her distractedly.

"It was nothing Kero. Nothing."

And Sakura almost thought the Fly card heard her and was amused and could hear its laughter on the wind.

* * *

Hiiragizawa Eriol examined the door of the classroom intently. Sakura was late. This occurrence in itself was not unusual. What was out of the ordinary was his own uncharacteristic impatience.

"Eriol-kun, is most anxious this morning," Daidoji Tomoyo commented dryly from her seat in front of him. She was very perceptive, Tomoyo.

He simply nodded. He had feeling Tomoyo suspected the reason he was in Japan was not for the educational opportunities provided, but it instead concerned her 'dear Sakura-chan.' She would be correct in assuming this. When he arrived five years ago he hadn't planned on staying long. Sakura was supposed to have already caught all the Clow Cards and he was simply supposed to make sure she transformed them all in time before Reed's magic was not enough to sustain them, but that wasn't how it happened. When he arrived Sakura hadn't even opened the Clow Book and the Clow Book wasn't even in Japan much less the small town of Tomoeda.

So he'd stayed because Sakura was the destined inheritor of the cards. So it stood to reason she'd come in contact with them sooner rather than later. Although he found it had turned more toward the later side of things, but last night he felt her open the Clow Book. So last night the things that should have been started years ago just started.

And he had to wonder how many, if any, of Reed's predictions would hold true.

"Eriol-kun, these are the times I really wish I knew why you were here," Tomoyo said thoughtfully with a gentle smile on her face. "I can only hope you don't remain this tense. It can't be good for you."

Eriol turned his gaze towards the fair purple haired girl sitting in front of him. "Tomoyo-san, you are too kind to be worrying about me," he said sincerely. He was rather amazed she trusted him so even though his intentions were unclear.

"Last night I saw Sakura-chan flying through the sky. I think you won't have to wait much longer, ne, Eriol-kun?" she asked him knowingly.

Eriol didn't comment, but he was afraid some of his shocked showed because Tomoyo started to giggle at him. Daidoji Tomoyo was frighteningly perceptive. She had not an ounce of magic, but her eyes were sharper than a well loved sword.

A breathless 'Good Morning' sounded through the room and Eriol turned to see Sakura had finally arrived. Sakura was panting lightly and her hair was in a slight disarray. Hanging from her neck was the Clow Key.

"Good morning Sakura-chan," Tomoyo greeted pleasantly.

"Good morning, Sakura-san," Eriol parroted. Her aura was different than he was expecting. It felt like she captured more than half the cards and that surely wasn't the case. That wasn't possible.

Eriol watched with intense concentration as Sakura took her seat by the window. She seemed well rested and it appeared any encounter she'd had with the Clow Cards had left her no worse for wear, but he detected a strange aura the seemed to hover around her besides her own like she'd recently met a powerful sorcerer. His own aura was visible around her too, but this other one flared much brighter like a spell or curse would.

"Eriol-kun, are you alright?" a concerned Sakura asked him as she noticed his look.

"Of course. I didn't mean to worry you, Sakura-san," he said with his usual smile. He would certainly discover the reason for this other aura before the next day.

It was then that Mizuki Kaho entered the classroom. For a brief second her gaze lingered on him silently offering him comfort, but then she was in front of the class. She the teacher while he was the student. The classroom door opened once again and a boy with messy brown hair and amber eyes walked to the front of the class.

"Li-kun," Sakura said sounding surprised, but a glance in her direction revealed that she thought of this as a good surprise. The smile on her face was warm. Although he wondered how she knew the boy.

He shifted his gaze to the boy in the front and was immediately hit with the fact that his aura matched the one surrounding Sakura-chan. So Sakura had already met this boy somewhere. Probably after school the previous day since he hadn't noticed anything before.

"Today class we have a new transfer student," Kaho said in usual melodic tones, but she sent him a quick warning look. A look telling him to brace himself. "His name is Li Syaoran and he is from Hong Kong."

Li Xiao Lang.

Eriol studied the boy intensely the brown hair and the amber eyes. The scowl that seemed a permanent feature on his distant face. This boy was almost certainly the boy Reed had seen in his visions. Sure he was late like everything else, but that only seemed natural. The thing that made the whole situation fishy was that Li Xiao Lang was reported missing 14 years ago the same day his mother and four older sisters died. Or as he assumed the day they were killed.

"Let's all treat him kindly." Kaho's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Then Kaho directed him to sit in the seat behind Sakura, next to the window and next to him.

Without wasting any time Li made his way to his new seat only to pause when he got to where Sakura was sitting.

"It seems I have to pleasure of sitting behind you, ne?" he asked Sakura a smile blooming on his face.

Sakura's whole face turned red as she let out an embarrassed 'hoe.'

Li chuckled. "Oh, yes. That noise," he said enigmatically before continuing to his seat where he proceeded to examine Sakura with a thoughtful smile on his face. Sakura on her part turned even redder at his words.

The spell that was wrapped around the unsuspecting Sakura flared dramatically with the caster, as Eriol was certain Li was, sitting behind her.

Surprisingly Sakura seemed to notice as well and even correctly guessed the source turning to Li as much as she could without it being obvious. "Li-kun, what-"

"I already told you. I've decided," he said shortly.

This caused her to turn around with decidedly grumpy look on her face.

Li just smiled.

Tomoyo was looking between her best friend the newcomer with sparkling eyes.

Eriol himself was getting a headache. He didn't know why his descendant seemed to have put some sort of spell on Sakura or why they'd already met. He didn't know where he had been for the last fourteen years or why the boy's mother and sisters died the same day he disappeared. And he most certainly didn't know why his descendant's power was so much more than it should be, but he knew one thing.

He did not like being in the dark.

* * *

Syaoran smiled inwardly to himself as he walked up to where Sakura, her friend and the Clow Reed reincarnation were sitting under a tree. It was an unusually warm autumn day and many other students were eating outside. However only blue haired boy was giving him a death glare. Syaoran wondered what he thought he was going to do.

"Li-kun!" Sakura shouted happily as she noticed him approached. Her friend gave him a friendly if more reserved wave. Blue Boy continued to glare at him.

Syaoran smiled at Sakura and her friend before smirking at the 'menacing' blue haired by beside them.

"Li-kun, are you going to eat with us?" Sakura asked him cheerfully. Her purple haired friend leaned forward obviously also curious. Blue Boy seemed to grimace probably hoping Syaoran would eat elsewhere.

"Only if you make that noise," he quipped smartly causing her to blush.

"Hoe!" she predictably exclaimed.

"Well I guess I have to now, ne," he commented dryly as he sat across from Sakura and next to her two companions. Her friend was giving him and odd look, but not like she thought he was strange. No it was her look that was odd. Her eyes were starry and scheming and friendly all at the same time.

"Eriol-kun, why are you glaring at Li-kun?" Sakura asked her companion innocently causing said companion to almost visibly shake himself.

"I don't know what you mean, Sakura-san," _Eriol_ lied smoothly causing Sakura to blink confused. And causing her friend to smile secretly.

"Oi! Blue Boy we could all see it. Why bother lying?" he said casually.

Blue Boy visibly ground his teeth. "Who are you? Why are you here?" he growled obviously shocking his female companions with his hostility.

"You don't know? I thought you would considering who you are," Syaoran said bluntly.

"Listen here, Xiao Lang, I will figure it out one way or another," he threatened.

Syaoran raised his eyebrows at the use of the Chinese version of his name, but replied with placating, "No need for that, Blue Boy. I'll just tell you."

The reincarnated sorcerer just growled. Sakura was looking at said sorcerer like he'd grown another head and her friend just seemed amused. Interesting.

"As you know I'm Li Xiao Lang. I delivered the book to Kinomoto-chan. I've decided to help her collect the cards," he informed the steaming boy before him.

"You delivered the book." The boy went from mad to just stunned.

"Are these cards and that book why I saw my dear Sakura-chan flying through the sky last night?" her friend asked her eyes sparkling. Syaoran sent her a sideways look. She was pretty sharp especially since she didn't even have any magic.

"Yes, you're a smart one. What's your name?" Syaoran answered.

"Daidoji Tomoyo. You can call me Tomoyo if you want, but somehow you seem like a more formal type of person," she said with a warm smile.

"Right, you are, Daidoji-chan," he said warmly.

"Ano, Li-kun, do you know Eriol-kun?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"Nope."

"Then why-"

"He thinks I've put a spell or curse on you," he informed her bluntly. The other boy's quick intake of breath confirmed his suspicions. "It's funny because it would be much more accurate to say _you _put a spell on me."

Sakura looked at him speechless while her friend whipped out a video camera and started filming for some reason. Blue Boy was examining him probably confused with what he discovered.

"But why would he think you cursed me?" Sakura asked clearly dismayed.

"Because of your aura I'm sure."

"Li-kun you're really good at giving answers that don't actually answer anything."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"What type of questions would you like me to answer?" he asked almost coyly.

"The one's I ask," she replied smartly.

"I like a girl who knows what she wants," he said his eyes twinkling.

"Well I like a guy who can give me a straight answer," she said pointedly.

"Is that so. Then ask me a question. I'll give you answer we'll both like," he said his eyes looking at her intently, his smile morphed into a serious line.

"Hoe! Li-kun you-you- Tomoyo-chan why are you filming me?!" said a very flustered Sakura.

Daidoji just smiled sweetly at her best friend. "I wanted footage of Sakura-chan flirting with a boy," she said unconcerned, it seemed, if said boy heard.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura wailed her face turning red.

Syaoran stood up. "Well, I think I'll go. I'm sure I'll be seeing you all later."

Sakura gave him and embarrassed 'good bye' and Daidoji wished him farewell with a fond smile. Blue Boy gave a quick parting glare.

"It seems things will be rather interesting for us all," he said aloud to himself. But the wind seemed to murmur in agreement. "Yes a new time has dawned for the cards Reed left behind… and for the one he didn't."

* * *

Kinomoto Toya was busy man. He was 24 years old and the owner of a small, but successful Temp Company. It was only fitting with the extensive variety of part-time jobs he'd had over the years. Although he rarely did just sit behind his desk at the office. He still regularly waited tables, sold confections and any number of jobs that he'd done in his youth. He let his partner and lover, Tsushiro Yukito, handle all the paper work.

Besides if he was out he could always be working with uncanny accuracy at the places his sister went. Yuki always teased him about his sister complex, and he supposed it was true, but he was slowly working his way towards a plan in which he would allow his sister some space and didn't involve locking her up.

Toya gaze drifted to his newest employ Li Syaoran. Li could do any job it seemed, except for the ones involving extensive costumer interaction. The boy wasn't exactly a people person and that was putting it mildly. Most of the time his face was cold and emotionless except for the scowl that his mouth would support. He'd heard other employees whispering about how scary the new _demon_ their boss had hired. Demon. Toya thought that was fitting not only because of his fierce nature, but he did work like a fiend. He generally got his work done twice or even three times as fast regardless of whether he was being paid by the hour or not. Toya had actually started calling him Demon to see what he'd do, but surprisingly when he did the boy just smiled at him. No one had been around and when he'd told Yuki even he found himself doubting his own memory. That was four months ago and he saw Li in good humor more and more, but only when they were alone. He guessed the boy liked him.

He liked him too, but he couldn't help but be a little wary. Li had come to him with no references. No previous addresses. All he had was a name. Despite that he'd proven to be a reliable worker despite his young age. He was actually the same age as Toya's younger sister and that's how he'd come up with his plan.

_"Oi, Demon , how old are you?" Toya asked him as innocently as he could while he mopped his side of the restaurant they were closing._

_There was a long pause and Toya thought he wasn't going to receive an answer until the boy said, "17, I guess." _

_Toya raised his eyebrows at that. For most people their age was at the tip of their tongue, but it didn't seem to concern Li one way or another. "That's my sister's age."_

_"Hn." Not a talker was Li._

_"Shouldn't you be in school?" Toya inquired. Li was no dummy. At breaks he often found him reading. He always calculated change in his head and never bothered with a calculator._

_"I'm going to transfer to Seiju High in a couple weeks."_

_"Transfer from where?" Toya asked curious to find out anything about the boy's mysterious past._

_"Hong Kong, I suppose," Li replied like it just occurred to him as he finished mopping. _

_Toya considered the boys exotic features and his odd accent. So Li was Chinese. The name fit even. But if Li was from Hong Kong why hadn't he put his address on his application? Why did never mention 'home?'_

_"Demon, Li, I was wondering if you could do me a favor," he asked as he also finished mopping._

_The boy just looked at him, his amber eyes patient, waiting._

_"I was wondering if perhaps you could scare away the guys hitting on my sister," he said like that was perfectly reasonable thing to ask._

_Li stared at him for a long moment. "What makes you think I could scare them?" He was smirking and his eyes seemed to glow from across the emptied diner._

_Toya blinked. The kid it seemed had a sense of humor. "I don't know. A gut feeling, you could say," Toya said sardonically. The kid was scary and even he was aware of that._

_To say he was surprised when Li Syaoran started laughing would have been an understatement._

_"I'm sorry Kinomoto-san, but I found it amusing somehow the fact that you want me to scare boys away from your sister," Li said eventually when he saw Toya staring at him with what probably looked close to horror._

_Toya just nodded. It was funny in its own way he supposed._

_"I'll do it," the boy said calmly before turning and leaving the room without so much as a goodbye. _

_"Bad people skills," Toya muttered, but couldn't help but smile at his own deviousness. Yuki would tease him to no end if he found out about his interference, but he didn't care. Those teenage punks had been getting more bold since he moved out and he _had _to do something._

Toya smiled in remembrance. "So? What happened today Demon?"

They were both was washing windows. It seems the people the bank normally contracts couldn't do it. These were the jobs Li was best at. The ones that didn't involve people. Also it would give them more privacy.

"Not much I guess. I met your sister, her friend, Daidoji-chan and Blue Boy," he said smiling obviously having enjoyed his first day at school. Not that it was his first day ever, but sometimes with the way he acted Toya had to wonder.

Toya scowled at the mention of Hiiragizawa, but was amused at the boy obvious disdain for the boy. The blue haired brat gave him the chills for some reason. He was more than he seemed. So was Li, but he didn't seem so damn sneaky about it. "I don't like Hiiragizawa. Anything else? Did any boys try anything?"

Li smirked at him. "Well, there was one boy who started to talk to your sister, but then he just stopped and all but ran away."

Toya just waited knowing there was more.

"I have no idea why. I was just looking at him was all," Li said innocently.

Toya laughed. The boy normal stare was death glare. He was thrilled. "Good job, Demon. I knew your lack of people skills could come in handy."

"It's not that I lack them Kinomoto-san. It's just I'm not going to waste them on people I don't care to know," Li informed him coolly.

Toya sent him a quick glance. People he didn't care to know, huh? Did that mean he wanted to know Toya for some reason? He certainly was a strange kid. "How very stingy," he remarked dryly.

"I only have so much to give," he replied mysteriously.

Seriously strange kid Demon was.


	2. Reply

A/N: Well this chapter just kinda happened randomly. I was a third done with what is now chapter three when I decided this chapter had to be written first. This one is shorter than the first chapter, but the next one is going to two to three times as long so hopefully y'all get over it. This one's pretty Syaoran centric even though not single section is from his point of view. Oh how I love third person limited. LOL. But it can't be avoided really since most of the mystery in this story revolves around his past. In chapter three there is much more SxS action I promise. And so you know this chapter spans a three week length of time and none of the sections happen on the same day. Oh and I used some Chinese in a section, but it Mandarin even though technically they're speaking Cantonese. I only know Mandarin so sue me.

And thanks again to miss truthfully, Twilight Kisses, SilentCynara and Demon of Selen for reviewing. I loved your reviews. Also thanks to everyone reading this. Your silent support is appreciated as well. : )

To Protect

Part I

Protecting Sakura: Reply

Kinomoto Fujitaka had traveled all over the globe trying unearth people and places long forgotten by the world. In his quest to unravel history he'd met many interesting people, but had encounter any young or old as bizarre as Li Syaoran.

At the moment Syaoran was organizing photos taken at a recently discovered pyramid in Egypt. The same site he'd bumped into the boy. It had been rather peculiar really.

_"Kinomoto-san!"_

_Fujitaka looked up from the pot he'd been dusting for the ten minutes. It looked remarkably well preserved. Nakamoto was a professor from a different university and it was the first time they had worked together. The man was a little stiff, but not too difficult to work with. "Yes Nakamoto-san?"_

_"A boy was discovered in your tent. He had an old book in his backpack and we want to make sure it's not yours. He says it's not, but he seems like a punk."_

_Fujitaka just smiled pleasantly. Somehow he was sure Nakamoto considered all children punks. "Well, I'd like to think he was telling the truth."_

_Nakamoto just grunted in disgust._

_It only took twenty minutes to get back to the tent, but the hot Egyptian sun made it feel three times as long. Two grad students seemed to be 'detaining' the boy while Yamaochi, another professor from then same school as Nakamoto, stood nearby holding what appeared to be an old, red book._

_"Oi, I got him," Nakamoto said quickly not wasting any time._

_"Great. Is this your book Kinomoto-san? This latch is very tricky I can't seem to open it," Yamaochi said distractedly as he handed the book to Fujitaka._

_The all jumped when the boy let a harsh laugh. "Only one person can open that book and that person certainly isn't you," he said in clear, oddly accented Japanese._

_"He knows Japanese? When I caught he was grumbling at me in Arabic!" Nakamoto groused obviously vexed._

_"The book isn't mine. Is the book yours?" Fujitaka asked the boy in front of him. The boy had a very straight posture and seemed extremely alert. The two students guarding him both looked very nervous. The boys amber eyes seemed very frigid in contrast to sweltering heat generated by the sun._

_"Not really. I'm delivering it to someone," he informed him coolly._

_"Delivering it? Yeah right! We should call the authorities. This punk probably-"_

_"Enough Nakamoto-san. If you all would excuse me, I would like to talk to this boy in my tent. Alone," in a harsh tone he rarely ever used. It was very effective for this reason and it wasn't long before the two were seated on the only two rickety chairs in Fujitaka's tent. "Sorry about the accommodations."_

_"I've seen worse," the boy said quickly._

_"What's your name?" Fujitaka didn't want to have to refer to the boy as well the boy anymore._

_"Li Syaoran, Kinomoto-sensei."_

_"I see. Would you mind if I called you Syaoran-san?" he asked the boy curiously. He wasn't too surprised he already knew his name. The others probably said something while Nakamoto went to fetch him._

_ Syaoran examined him intently for a few minutes before shrugging. "If you want."_

_"I guess that settles it then. Why were you in my tent? Were you hungry or something?" The boys clothes were pretty ragged, but he didn't exactly look malnourished. He really didn't seem like he was even from Egypt. He looked Chinese if he wasn't mistaken. His name sounded it._

_"I was curious."_

_"About the artifacts I've found?" He did have some pretty valuable things in his tent._

_Syaoran shook his head. "No. They are interesting, but I was more interested in you. Your aura."_

_"Come again?" It wasn't every day some commented on your aura with such a serious expression._

_"Your aura feels almost like the one I'm looking for," Syaoran elaborated. Fujitaka however was still confused._

_"I'm sorry. I'm not quite sure what you mean," he said apologetically._

_Syaoran waved away his apology. "That book you're holding belongs to the person I'm looking for." Fujitaka looked down at the book in his hand and then back to the serious boy who was delivering it to someone._

_"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like your looking for someone you've never met."_

_The boy nodded. "Yes."_

_"How are you delivering it then?"_

_"I can't really explain it, but I just know," Syaoran said frustration tinting his voice._

_"It still seems like it would be rather difficult ," Fujitaka said sympathetically._

_"Yes. Where are you from Kinomoto-sensei?" The boy asked in a keenly interested tone that left Fujitaka a little wary, but he shook the feeling off._

_"Tomoeda. It's a small town a couple hours away from Tokyo."_

_"A small town, huh?" Syaoran said intrigued, He smiled at some private joke. _

_"Yes."_

_"I think, Kinomoto-sensei, that I shall go there," Syaoran said carefully._

For the next couple months Syaoran visited the camp on a daily basis. Fujitaka never asked him where he was staying because he was pretty sure the boy wouldn't tell him. He actually seemed to know how to read hieroglyphics. He said a friend taught him and Fujitaka thought that he must have very interesting friend.

Fujitaka didn't exactly remember how it happened, but he told Syaoran he was looking for an assistant and that if he was interested he could have the job. Syaoran had after all told him of his intention to go to Tomoeda. Syaoran accepted the position on the condition that he could start after settling in for a couple weeks. The next day he didn't come to visit, but Fujitaka later found a note on his table telling him that they would meet again in Japan. No contact number or address.

Three weeks later after he'd been home for two weeks Syaoran showed up at his office.

_"Good morning, Kinomoto-sensei."_

_Fujitaka looked up and almost choked on the coffee he'd been sipping. "Good morning, Syaoran-san," he nearly asked in his confusion._

_"I'm glad to see you're well," Syaoran said politely._

_"Er, same to you, but how did you get in here?" he asked incredulously. There was only one entrance to the building and it had guard. They didn't let just anyone into the building since no classes were held there. There were only offices and artifacts and library of very rare old books. The archeology building probably had better security than most places on campus. He couldn't imagine a boy without clearance being allowed to stroll the halls._

_"I used the window."_

_Fujitaka looked at him blankly before directing his gaze out his very open window that happened to be located in his sixth floor office! "You used the window?!"_

_ "Yes. I climbed a tree and then jumped to a second floor balcony and then-"_

_Fujitaka gestured with his hand for him to stop. "Of course you did. I myself have considered it when I see a long line backed up at the front door," he said sarcastically._

_Syaoran just remained silent._

_"Why didn't you go to the front desk? They would have let you in if you'd given them my name," Fujitaka said exasperated. Syaoran always did think outside the box like maybe he wasn't even aware there was a box. "They would have called me and I would have given you clearance."_

_"The window seemed faster."_

_Fujitaka sighed. He didn't know how to argue with that. "Well, I'm glad you're here Syaoran-san. I assume you still want to be my assistant?"_

_"If you still want me to be."_

_"Of course. Let's both go down to the front desk and get you a badge while explain what your job entails." _

That had been four months ago. Syaoran proved to be an excellent assistant. He knew many languages: Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, English, Ancient Egyptian and Fujitaka swore he heard him mutter something in French the other day. He was very organized and had a talent for recall. Fujitaka asked him how he knew so many languages, but he'd just shrug saying something about 'friends.'

Also he was great at getting hard to get reference books and artifacts from the library and the vault respectively. The heads there were notorious for the paper work they required to borrow what they deemed most valuable. It seemed that even they were uncomfortable trying to make Syaoran jump through hoops though. He knew he should feel guilty using Syaoran's natural, er, charm, but most of the time he was just too excited in the projects he was involved in.

"So how's school, Syaoran-san?"

The boy finished organizing the photos and it was good 15 minutes before he replied. "Very entertaining."

Fujitaka laughed. He'd come to realize Syaoran had a very strange sense of humor. "How so?"

"I'm not sure exactly, but I'm never bored."

"Sakura-san tells me you've met," he said seriously, not half as jovial.

"Yes."

"I've seen her with that book. The one you were delivering," he said pointedly.

"It's hers."

"My daughter is the person you've been looking for. That's why our auras are so similar," Fujitaka nearly growled.

"Yes."

He almost wanted to shake the boy. He knew he always answered things very, very succinctly, but at the moment it was rubbing him the wrong way. He was worried for his daughter. "My daughter has been out late at night every night for the last week. Do you know what she's been doing?"

"Yes."

"Look I know you're not one to talk a lot, but I need answers. Besides that fact that it's hers, why did you give that book to Sakura-san?"

"The book is called the Clow Book if you remember. When you first saw it had 50 to 51 cards in depending how you count them. Now they've been released and she's capturing them."

"That seems odd. Them adding up differently like that."

"Yes. These cards are magical cards. Each posses a spirit with a special ability. Like Windy for example controls the wind. Your daughter was destined to inherit these cards. The book and the cards were drawn to her power."

"Is that how you found Sakura-san?"

"Probably."

"What do you mean probably? It either was it wasn't."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not sure."

Fujitaka laced his fingers together and contemplated the boy before him. He was saying some pretty weird stuff. _But at least he's consistent_. As long as he'd known the boy he'd rarely ever said anything normal.

"Syaoran-san, is my daughter in danger?"

"Yes."

Fujitake felt a wave of fury hit him abruptly. This boy had given his daughter an old book and somehow put her in danger. He looked at the boy to find he looked as happy about as Fujitaka felt. Syaoran's voice may have been calm, but his clenched fists and stiff shoulders told another story. Fujitaka sighed.

He moved his hands to rub his forehead. "Are _you_ in danger?"

"Well, I guess."

Fujitaka shook his head. It seemed Syaoran wasn't over concerned with his own safety. "How long is this going to last?"

"A month or so more. No longer than that."

"So quick?"

"Kinomoto-sensei, this conflict has been in the making for several centuries. It if doesn't happen soon it'll expire," Syaoran said wryly.

Fujitaka looked at him for a long moment. "You wouldn't be doing this if you didn't think it was absolutely necessary, correct?"

"Yes."

"I trust you won't let anything happen to my daughter, Syaoran-san. I would hate to have to kill you," he said as warm as a Siberian winter.

Syaoran tipped his head in acknowledgement. "It's a wonder," he said with a small smile.

"It's a wonder what?" Fujitaka asked as good humored as ever.

"That people aren't scared when they meet _you_."

* * *

Eriol looked around at the ornate and well tended gardens he found himself in with disinterest. They were pretty much what he was expecting. The Li Clan's Compound had lived up to most of his expectations of it.

The walls were tall and the people were cold. Being Clow Reed's reincarnation got his foot in the door though just barely. So they lead him to a secluded garden to wait while they got some yes-man to come and tell him everything they wanted him to hear. It was pitiful really. He may have looked like a kid, but he wasn't and he certainly wasn't to be taken lightly.

He clenched his jaw when he recalled just how lightly he'd been regarded the last week and a half by a certain Li.

"Oh, you must be who they're avoiding!"

Eriol turned to see an old, majestic looking woman enter the garden. "Yes, that would be me. Although I like to be known as Hiiragizawa Eriol rather than he who must be avoided," he replied in Cantonese since that was the language she greeted him in.  
"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Hiragizawa, but I'm afraid I have bad news. No one can see you at this time. They said you could come back tomorrow," the woman informed him sympathetically because they both knew they'd never have time to see him.

"They're being rather rude."

"I think they just don't want you to ask uncomfortable questions which they won't answer anyway," the woman told him smartly.

"I'm sorry. I forgot my manners. Whose presence am I being graced with?"

"So polite. My name is Li Mei Di, but you, Mr. Hiiragizawa, can call me Mei Di."

"Only if you call me Eriol."

"Alright now that the pleasantries are over with what did you want to know? I'll tell you if I can. So many people here are afraid to speak out of turn for fear of death, but I'm too old for that silliness," she said cutting right to the chase as she sat down on stone bench.

"Well Mei Di I was going to as about what happened to Li Ye Lan and her daughters and why her son disappeared."

Mei Di visibly wilted. "You want to know about that? That's not a very pleasant story. I have many fun tales to tell and that just isn't one them, Eriol."

"It would be very helpful if you could tell me."

Mei DI's mouth became a small straight line. "I see. Very well. Ye Lan was a good daughter-in-law despite the fact she only had one son. She was a strong woman magically and otherwise. My granddaughters all would have be fine women one day. Xiao Lang was three when he disappeared so I knew him the least, but I remember him having a lot of energy. He was very mischievous. I think he was already giving Ye Lan grey hairs. Just months before he disappeared one of the elders showed him how to concentrate his energy in his feet so he could jump higher. He just loved that! He was simply everywhere after that and Ye Lan had a hard time keeping track of him and running the clan," Mei Di paused and wiped the tears of her face. "You'll have to forgive an old woman her tears."

"It's quite alright," Eriol assured her. It was rather lucky he'd run into Xiao Lang's paternal grandmother he silently mused.

"What I don't understand is why they acted like they all never existed. Their names became taboo. As far as the Li Clan was concerned Ye Lan and her children didn't die because they never existed."

"Surely they had birth certificates, marriage licenses, school papers," Eriol asked unnerved.

"Things get lost," Mei Di said bluntly.

"Where were the bodies found?"

"Well, the girls' were found at the house. There was barely any sign of a struggle so I think they were caught off guard. Fan Ren and Fu Tie were both fairly far along in their magical studies. No non-magical people should have been able to catch them off guard."

Eriol looked at her stunned. Her implication was clear. Someone with magic, probably someone in her own family, had killed her daughter-in-law and her children.

"Ye Lan was found across the compound in a little used garden. The gardeners hardly ever even get around to it. She had wounds that she could only have gotten in a battle."

"How do you know this if there was such a cover up?"

She smiled a dazzling, sly smile. "Old women have their ways."

Mei Di was probably in her late seventies, but Eriol imagined she could still be considered dangerous.

"And Xiao Lang? Did they ever find his body?" Eriol asked even though he knew they hadn't.

"No, and I don't think they will."

"How can you be so sure?"

"That night before I heard news of Ye Lan's death I ran into him or more precisely he ran into me. Fell right on his butt," she said with a smile.

_"Nai Nai!"_

_Mei Di looked down to find none other than her grandson smiling up at her. "Xiao Lang, what are doing wandering around out here and at this time of night! Your mom is going to be angry with you," she said scolded him even though she actually found all his antics pretty amusing. It wasn't exactly safe for him to be wondering streets at night though._

_His shook his head forcibly enough to make her dizzy. "Not-uh! She _told_ me to do this."_

_"Do what?" she asked worried. Ye Lan would never send her son out after dark for any reason she was sure._

_"To give this to the person it belongs to," he said proudly. Mei Di for the first time noticed what he was holding in his hands. The Clow Book!_

_"Where did you get that?" she hissed._

_Xiao Lang stepped away from her frightened. "Ma Ma gave it to me. She told me to give to the person it belonged to," he repeated, but he sounded a lot more uncertain._

_"Okay. Can I see it for second, Xiao Lang?" she asked him in a more grandmotherly tone: all warmth and sweet dumplings. There was something amiss with the book._

_"Sure!" he exclaimed obviously happy she didn't seem to be mad at him anymore._

_As soon as she picked up the book her skin started crawling. The book was dripping with Black Magic. The light from the street lamps allowed to see the dark splotches all over the book and it was covered in dents. It was obvious the book was slowly decaying. "Xiao Lang, where did your mom get this book?" she asked urgently. The Clow Book had supposedly been lost centuries ago._

_"Uh, I don't know. I was in a garden playing and then I-I fell asleep I guess. When I woke up Ma Ma gave me that book and said to give it to the person it belongs to."_

_Mei Di looked at him deeply concerned. He was not one to lie and this was too bizarre for him to make up anyway. "Who does it belong to Xiao Lang?"_

_The boy shrugged. "I don't know. I just know they're that way! If I keep going that way I think I'll find them."_

_Mai Di bent down squeezed him in a tight hug. "Oh, Xiao Lang."_

_"What's the matter, Nai Nai? I'm not going to be gone forever. I promised Ma Ma I'd come back."_

_"Xiao Lang, how long do you think it'll take you to deliver that book?"_

_"I don't know. A couple days, maybe a week."_

_Mei Di sighed. That was very naïve of her grandson, but she didn't think he'd ever left home so what more could she expect. "Xiao Lang, take my hand. Before you deliver that book I want to take you to meet a friend."_

_"Okay!" _

_Carefully looking around for anyone who was paying more attention then they should Li Mei Di started weaving through night markets and residential neighborhoods avoiding the main roads. Eventually she arrived in an alley that ran alongside a brick building that looked like it was falling apart. Three unstable looking steps led up to a door where half its coat of paint had chipped off. Without hesitation Mei Di walked up the steps and knocked on it three times. Two knocks in quick succession and the third after a shallow pause._

_She heard Xiao Lang yawn. "Nai Nai, I'm tired." It was well past his bed time._

_"You can sleep in a little while, Xiao Lang. please try to stay awake. I know you can do it," she encouraged as she squeezed his small hand._

_The door opened at crack and reedy voice that only lifetime of cigarettes could cultivate rasped out at out of the opening. "What's your business."_

_"Wang Zhi Ming owes me a favor."_

_The hiss of the speakers surprised intake of air echoed down the deserted alleyway. "Name?!"_

_"Li Mei Di."_

_If the previous noise was a hiss the next was a den of vipers. "Come in. Quickly!" The door opened just enough to allow the woman and boy entry. _

_The room they found themselves in was dimly by a flicker bulb in an ancient looking lamp. Cigarette smoke was thick in the air and distantly she could hear Xiao Lang struggling to breathe. "Wait here," here the man who owned the wheeze of a voice ordered before he disappeared through a doorway._

_The man was gone for barely a minute when she felt Xiao Lang pull on her skirt. "I don't like this place, Nai Nai. It gives me a bad feeling. And it's too smoky."_

_"I'm sorry, but we'll only be here for a moment. I need you to be good. No matter what you need to be good."_

_"Okay, Nai Nai, but shouldn't I go soon? To deliver the book?"_

_"I'm sending you to someone who will help you get there."_

_"Really?"_

_"Yes, now hush," she said as a man in his late forties walked into the room._

_"Li Mei Di! So it really was you! I was sure you were going to die before you called in your favor!" he said on a cold unfeeling laugh. His smile hardly reached his lips._

_"I thought so as well, Wang Zhi Ming," Mei Di replied not bothering to hide her disdain. "I need you to take this boy to an address I will give you shortly, with a letter, I'm going to prepare."_

_"When?" There were no questions of why in places such as this. The reason often didn't seem to matter._

_"Tonight, within the hour."_

_"Write down the address and then show it to me," he said coldly all false welcome gone. He gestured to a nearby table. She grabbed a cheap plastic pen and quickly scribbled the address on a sticky note after she unstuck it from the rest of its brethren. It wouldn't do to leave an imprint. She didn't want anyone to know where she was sending her grandson._

_Silently she handed it him. He gave it quick once over before raising an eyebrow at her. "It's in Arabic."_

_"I don't want unwanted eyes to know what they shouldn't." He knew Arabic and his underlings didn't._

_"Very well. After this we shall be even. Write your letter. I will return in twenty minutes for it and the boy." No other words were needed and he disappeared as fast as he'd come._

_"Nai Nai, I don't like that man. He's a bad man. But he's not near as scary as Great Uncle Hu," her grandson told her with all the tact a three year old possesses: absolutely none._

_"Hu isn't that bad is he?" she teased him as she found some stationary and an envelope on the table. That was Zhi Ming, ever accommodating.._

_"He is! He's evil! I can feel it!"_

_Mei Di chuckled. Li Hu was a well loved man. All the children loved him and all the adults found him incredibly fun. That was except for Xiao Lang. Everyone loved to tease him about the terror he inspired in his grandnephew._

_She bit her lip thoughtfully before she wrote her brief note to Andalee. She tried to tell her what she knew, which wasn't much, but to put it vaguely just in case it was intercepted. Finally she finished. After glace at her watch. She had five minutes left with Xiao Lang before he 'disappeared.' She might not ever see him again._

_"Nai Nai, who's your friend."_

_"Her name is Andalee. She's very nice. I'm sure she'll be your friend too."_

_"An Da Li? That's weird name."_

_"Well, she's from a different country Xiao Lang. Your name is strange where she lives."_

_"Wow! Really?"_

_"Really and-"_

_"It's time to go," Zhi Ming interrupted her harshly. _

_She nodded at him stiffly. She bent over and gave Xiao Lang back the book that had been making her feel sick for that last hour. "Here you go. Good luck." She didn't say goodbye because if Xiao Lang realized he wasn't coming back in a few days he would probably freak out._

_"Okay. See you later, Nai Nai." He gave her a really big hug before taking back the Clow Book. If he noticed the evil energies crawling around it he didn't visibly react to them. "Tell Ma Ma I'll be back soon and that I love her. And my older sisters too even though they're yucky girls."_

_"Of course," she said her heart sinking. She really hoped she'd be able to do that._

_She handed Zhi Ming the sealed envelope and he grabbed Xiao Lang by his collar. "Come," was all he said before they disappeared into a different hallway than before practically dragging the boy behind him._

"When I got back home. Ye Lan and her daughters had already been found dead. I was in shock. I had been preparing to have a very pissed off Ye Lan on my hands. Sending her son away like that, but in hindsight I probably saved his life."

Eriol whistled a long high note the lingered in the quiet garden. He wondered what exactly had happened that day. Even if he asked Xiao Lang he didn't think he'd get all the answers, _Not that he would tell me anyway_ Eriol thought to himself annoyed.

"Did Xiao Lang ever find the person he was looking for?" Mei Di asked him curiously.

"And what makes you think I would know?"

"An old woman's intuition is never wrong."

"All this talk of old women. I don't see what that has to do with you."

"Truly, Eriol, I really want to know," Mei Di said clasping one his hands with one her small, wrinkled ones. It felt soft with long life. "I would very much like to know if my grandson is alive."

"He has delivered the book to its intended owner. Yesterday, the last time I saw him, he was fine." Her hand squeezed his thankfully and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. It wasn't like he came with the intention of making her feel better.

"Who did he give it too?" Mei Di asked him curiously. "I just can't picture what Clow Reed's successor should look like."

"Sakura-san is very beautiful girl. Her smile lights up even the saddest of hearts. Right now she's in her second year of high school."

"A girl, huh? Who would have guessed it? Certainly no one in this clan would believe it. I can't really see them supporting it either, but if she already has them," Mei Di's voice grew steadily more nervous. "He gave her the book a week or so ago, didn't he?"

Eriol gave her a wary look. "Yes, is that a problem?"

"Well, I felt that all the way up here and my power is only so-so. Whoever Xiao Lang originally 'borrowed' the Clow Book from most likely felt that power surge as well. They'll be wanting to get it back."

"Are they dangerous?"

"Eriol, they killed Li Ye Lan who was an extremely powerful sorceress and accomplished martial artist to boot. They are most certainly dangerous."

* * *

"Demon, I want to have word with you." Li had just walked through the front doors of their main office probably to see what jobs were available that week. Toya had been waiting for his arrival. The secretary looked at him nervously when he addressed Li as Demon, but he paid her no mind. "You are free," he informed the boy.

"Oh, I see. Round two. I'm certainly glad I can't see ghosts," Li reflected wryly.

Toya didn't know what he meant by that so he just pointed in the direction of his seldom used office. The walked at a fast clip and were at the end of the long hallway in under three minutes and only one slightly trampled intern to show for it.

Toya closed the door and locked it. "Please take a seat, Demon."

Soon they were seated across fro each other. Toya behind the desk, Li in front of it. "What can I do you for Kinomoto-san?" Li asked him casually.

"What are you doing with my sister?" The interrogation had officially started.

"Going the direct route I see."

"Answer the question."

"I'm protecting her."

"From what?"

"E-vil," Li told him dramatically.

Toya shook his head to reorient himself. It was obvious Li was in a strange mood. "No, really."

"Well, nothing really yet, but I will in the future I'm sure. He won't wait much longer," Li admitted reluctantly.

"He?"

"Yes, He."

"Who is He?" Toya repeated.

"He is a tiger that's made everyone think he's a kitten."

Toya rubbed his face exasperated. "Do you _know_ how to give a straight answer?"

"I'm sure I do."

"Well, it doesn't show."

"I'm sorry to hear that Kinomoto-san."

"I'm serious." Toya wanted to smash his face against the desk top. Or better yet smash _Li's_ face against said desktop.

"And, what? I'm a clown?" For a crazy second an image of Li dressed up as a clown zipped through his brain. He was so finding a job where Li would have to dress up as a clown. Then he told himself to focus.

"Look, Demon, I just want to know what you're up to," Toya leaning back in his chair.

"I see. Well, your sister possesses some very powerful magic as I'm sure you already know."

Toya nodded. "Yeah. I used to be able to feel her aura three blocks away. It's even stronger now since she's started doing whatever it _is _she's doing. In crowd she stands out like a some five foot tall pink monster. By the way, your aura has been awfully pink the last feet weeks. I can hardly see any green at all. What's up with that?"

"It can't be avoided I'm afraid. Anyway way your sister has recently been selected as the new Mistress of the Clow Cards."

Toya frowned at how Li once again avoided answering his question, but let it go. It could wait. "Clow Cards?"

"They're magical cards that each have their own unique abilities. The have varying degrees of power."

"Are they dangerous?" Toya asked suspiciously.

Li gave him a mysterious smile. "They _could _be in other circumstances."

"So they're not dangerous?"

"They have the potential to be deadly."

"So my sister is in danger!"

Li shock his head. "Nope. Well at least not from them."

"And why not?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Just because."

"You, Demon, are driving me mad!"

"You're always angry anyway."

Toya examined the boy in front of him critically. It seemed for the moment anyway Sakura wasn't in eminent danger. Or at least Li didn't think so. "You'll tell me if the tiger who acts like a kitten makes a move, right?" he felt like he was in a bad spy movie from the fifties.

"Of course, I was planning on it." Toya felt a little better after hearing that.

"You're lucky I trust you. Why do I trust you?"

"Probably because you met me before I met your sister," Li said dryly.

Toya grunted. "Maybe. Speaking of my sister. Have those stupid, hormone driven scum bags stopped talking to her yet?"

"If you're referring to the boys in our class, yes. If you're referring to demented ,magically charmed scum drenched vacuum cleaners, I haven't seen any. If I do I'll be sure to stab them with my sword."

"Sword? Isn't that a little old fashioned?" Toya asked amused. Vacuum cleaners. The kid was nuts.

"A sword suits me fine."

"And you carry it with you always, right?" Toya joked.

"Right," Li answered serious.

"You _actually_ have a sword, don't you?" Toya asked wondering why he found it so surprising.

"Of course."

"I don't see it."

"An unseen sword can still draw blood," he said with a shrug.

"Was that a joke?"

"I don't know. Was it funny?"

"You know it's probably best you don't talk to most people."

"How's that?"

"Well instead of being scared of you for no really good reason they'd be terrified of your for several very good reasons, sword boy," Toya said pointedly.

* * *

"Here is your order. Strawberry milkshake, vanilla milkshake and a large order of fries. Enjoy!" Li said with a small smile on his face that disappeared the second he left their table.

"Tomoyo-chan, I can't believe Li-kun works here as well," Sakura said amazed as she started on the fries.

"Yes, yesterday he was working at the grocery store when we went to get eggs for the cake I wanted to make at your house."

"And last Thursday he was a lifeguard at the indoor pool we went to with Naoko-chan!"

Tomoyo simply nodded. She suspected Li popping up like he did was intentional. Just like how Sakura's older brother was mysteriously everywhere they went. She did wonder how they managed to do it though.

"Ne, Tomoyo-chan?"

"Hmm," Tomoyo replied to show she was listening as she started to drink her vanilla milkshake.

"Don't you think it's odd that the Clow Cards have been so friendly?"

"What do you mean?" Tomoyo honestly hadn't thought much about it since she'd been so busy designing cute clothes for Sakura to wear and then filming her in said cute clothes and then watching videos of her in the clothes. Tomoyo sighed dreamily.

"Well, they'll challenge me and all, but except for the first few don't attack me at all. I don't know it just seems strange and Kero-chan is very disturbed by it," Sakura said worriedly. She took a sip of her strawberry milkshake and made a sound of delight. "Yum."

"Have you asked Li-kun? They all seem to know him? Hey, maybe that's why!"

Sakura stopped sipping her shake. "What's why?"

"Maybe the reason they're not attacking you is because they're friends of Li-kun's and you're his friend. And it's a friend of a friend kind of deal," Tomoyo said energetically. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Li snuck up behind an unsuspecting Sakura.

"I don't know Tomoyo-chan. I don't think it's that simple," Sakura said obviously thinking over very hard. She didn't even notice Tomoyo fished out her video camera and started filming her as she scrunched her face up in thought.

"I don't see why it can't be," Li said right behind her, his lips just inches from her ear.

"Hoe!" Sakura hollered causing most of the people the restaurant to turn in time to see her tumble out of her seat. "Li-kun!" she cried as her face turned bright red. "Tomoyo-chan!" Tomoyo guessed she caught sight of her camera.

"Sorry. I just got on break so I thought I'd join you," Li said sounding as far away from sorry as a person could get. He bent over and helped Sakura get back on her feet.

"I guess, you're forgiven. But what did you mean just now?" Sakura quickly sat back down in her seat while Li pulled up a third chair to the small round table they were sitting at.

"I was just saying I think Daidoji-chan's assessment of the situation is pretty correct."

"You mean the cards _are_ being nice to me because I'm you're friend."

"More or less," Li confirmed.

"But that's too easy. I want to earn the title Card Mistress." Tomoyo smiled at her friends determination.

"Don't worry you are earning it. The cards like you. They've been misused in the past so that's very important. They already know you're strong enough because you were able to open the book."

"But-"

"And if you're worried about earning it don't be. Soon the stronger cards will challenging you and they plan on giving you a real run for your money. That being said the weaker cards couldn't have given you a much harder time without endangering themselves anyway. They were just too damaged to battle you."

"Damaged? Your mean how they look torn and stained right after she returns them to their card forms?" Tomoyo asked him truly curious. She'd been wondering about that.

Li nodded. "From what I can gather. Their previous master used Black Magic to control them because he wasn't their intended master. Their prolonged exposure to malice damaged them."

"That's horrible," Sakura said. "They're all so nice. It pains me to think they were in such a terrible situation." Tomoyo could actually see Sakura getting teary eyed. She had to nod in agreement.

"That's why it's important they like you. They know you can be their mistress; they just want to know you can also be their friend. I have to go. My break's over."

Tomoyo watched Sakura watch Li go. "Li-kun sure does know the cards well Tomoyo-chan. But it's weird because the book was sealed the whole time he had it, yet somehow he still talked to them. I wonder how he did that with them being sealed up in the book and all."

Tomoyo considered her friend's question. That did seem rather odd. "That's a good question, Sakura-chan. A very good question."

* * *

A/N: Nai Nai means father's mother in Mandarin Chinese.


	3. Test

A/N: Sorry it took so long to post this. I had 9000 words of it done since Saturday, but then I kept getting sidetracked writing future chapters. So now chapter 7 is done. 9 is almost done. 8 is started and I'm halfway done with 11. There will 14 chapters including the epilogue if you were wondering.

Thank you misstruthfully and Twillight Kisses for the reviews. And thanks to all those reading.

Disclaimer: I didn't do one of these last chapter. How about we assume I won't suddenly own CCS this whole story. So yeah, not mine.

* * *

To Protect

Part I

Protecting Sakura: Test

It had been three weeks. Three weeks since Kerberos woke from his thirty year nap to find his new mistress _flirting_ with the strange boy named Li Syaoran. He couldn't for the life of him figure that boy out. The boy exuded a strange aura and Kerberos had to agree with what The Kid had said to Sakura his first day at school. It _did_ seem as if Sakura had put a spell on the boy. It was hard to even feel, much less see, his aura as heavily as Sakura's pink one blanketed it. If the Kerberos didn't know any better he would think Sakura was possessing the boy, but that involved knowledge of the dark arts and an evil heart. Neither of which Sakura had. Besides she certainly wasn't controlling The Kid. But it was still rather odd.

Sakura had been capturing a Clow Card every night with remarkable ease. In fact, Kerberos was inclined to think it was _too_ easy. Every other night or sometimes during the day Sakura would be confronted with a different card. At first they started off hostile before suddenly becoming almost playful, but after the first week the encounters were decidedly tame, gentle even. The cards not only seemed to allow Sakura to capture them, they also seemed to have deemed her worthy of being their new mistress. Sure they challenged her, but not in a way that she could get hurt. He couldn't help but wonder why. It wasn't that he didn't approve of her. He knew as soon as he felt her power she was the one because that was how Clow created him, but how did they know?

He was pretty sure it was The Kid's doing he just wasn't sure how. It was clear that cards and the boy knew each other. Hell, the Thunder Card actually ran up to the boy like some dog! A very, very well trained dog. It was disconcerting to say the least.

However none of the elements had shown themselves and it was mostly the weaker cards that Sakura had caught. It was possible it was the stronger cards that were planning to give Sakura more of a challenge.

Another alarming fact was Hiiragizawa Eriol didn't like Li Syaoran one bit. When Kero had first met the boy he was very suspicious of him because it was obvious he had a lot of power, but he seemed a lot less suspicious than The Kid. However it helped he didn't like the Li boy. What they say about common enemies and all. Not that he thought The Kid was an enemy exactly, just too mysterious for his liking.

Li Syaoran born in Hong Kong. A member of the powerful Li Clan. A boy who delivered the Clow Book to it's new mistress after he had been away from his home since he was three. If that didn't scream suspicious he didn't know what was.

"Ne, Kero-chan, what are you thinking about looking so serious?" Sakura asked him her voice concerned. It was Sunday and she'd just woken up despite the fact that it was well past noon.

"The Kid," he replied gruffly, resigned to the fact that she would forever cal him Kero-chan.

"Hoe! Are you still worried about Li-kun?" she asked him genuinely surprised. Although from what Kerberos gathered she _never_ even thought to distrust the boy even when he was dragging her to his apartment. He wasn't at all shocked she couldn't find any reason to doubt him now.

"Sakura. There are just too many things about him that don't add up," he said exasperated knowing nothing he said would change her view of the boy.

"But Otou-san likes him. Even Onii-chan does!" she said urgently.

Kerberos frowned remembering the dinner he'd spied on three days ago.

_"Sakura-san, could you set the table. Remember to set it for seven people," Kinomoto Fujitaka called from the kitchen to his bubbling with energy daughter who was currently bouncing on the living room couch while trying to look like she was reading a book for an English assignment. _

_"Hai!" she said enthusiastically. Kerberos watched disturbed. It was just The Kid coming over after all. No big deal. _

_"Make sure not to break anything Monster. You wouldn't want your friend to think poorly of you now," Toya taunted from the kitchen was her was helping his father prepare the enormous dinner. It had to be large not only because the were having four guests, but also because Toya's boyfriend was one of them. Sakura confided that he ate a lot._

_"I'm not a monster!" Sakura snapped predictably as she set the table furiously. And from what Kerberos could here from his hiding spot in the living room she was setting those plates down with enough force to break them if she wasn't careful._

_There was a knock at the door and Sakura ran from the dining room. She quickly messed with her hair for some reason before opening the door. "Yukito-san," she said almost disappointed._

_Yukito eyes twinkled and he gave her a warm smile. "Don't sound too happy to see me, Sakura-chan," he teased._

_Sakura flushed embarrassed. "Of course I'm happy to see you Yukito-san!" she assured him hurriedly._

_"Monster finish setting the table! The food is done!" Toya's voice intruded rudely._

_"I'm not a monster, Onii-chan," Sakura growled as she stomped back to the dining room in a very monster-like fashion._

_Yukito laughed before following her into the room more sedately. It was not even a minute later when someone else knocked on the door. Once again Sakura sprinted through the house and practically threw open the door. "Li-kun!" she said excitedly as she all but yanked him into the house._

_"I'm happy to see you too, Kinomoto-chan," the boy said chuckling._

_Sakura blushed and looked everywhere but the boy in front of her._

_"Monster, if that's your guest don't just keep them standing there!" Toya interjected rudely for the second time._

_"I'm not a monster!" Sakura roared causing The Kid to raise an eyebrow at her. "Ano, please follow me Li-kun," she said sweetly._

_"Of course," he responded with a smile._

_Kerberos rubbed his hands together with glee. Sakura's brother was crazy over protective. Finally someone was going to teach the Kid for being so mysterious and vague all the time. Not wanting to miss the show Kerberos quickly snuck to a shelf in the dining room he'd decided would be a perfect hiding place._

_Sakura hadn't told her brother or her dad that her friend was a boy because she knew her brother would freak. Kerberos himself looked forward to his reaction so he was quite shocked when Toya did not send a death glare to the boy from the chair he was just sat down in. Instead he said, "Demon, _you_ are Sakura's friend? I thought you had better taste," he greeted him warmly like they were friends._

_"Toya, you shouldn't call him that," Yukito scolded his boyfriend._

_Toya shrugged. "What? He doesn't mind," he argued._

_"Onii-chan, you know Li-kun!?" Sakura asked clearly confused._

_"Of course, I invited him. He's my employee," Toya explained._

_"And here I thought I invited, Syaoran-san," Fujitaka said sheepish, but with good humor._

_"Hoe?!" Sakura exclaimed._

_"I'm met him in Africa at the dig I was overseeing 6 months ago. He's my new assistant," he told her._

_"What?" Toya said confused._

_"It seems all three of you invited the same guest," Yukito said amused._

_"Indeed Tsukishiro-san," The Kid said with an apologetic smile. "I didn't tell you because I was curious as to how you would react. I thought it would be amusing."_

_Kerberos was sure that then Toya would explode, but the only thing the dark haired man did was laugh. Fujitaka laughed with him. "You have strange sense of humor Li."_

_"Yes, he does," Fujitaka agreed._

_Yukito looked a little confused, but still smiled happily anyway. Sakura, well, she looked pissed._

_"Li-kun why didn't you tell me!?" she wailed._

_Li made her sit down and then sat down himself before turning to her and saying simply, "You didn't ask."_

_She opened her mouth and then closed it. Then her face scrunched into a grumpy, but thoughtful look. Eventually she let out a defeated sigh. "I guess that's true."_

_"To make it up to you, I'll help you clean up," he offered as he started loading up his plate._

_"Thank you, Li-kun," Sakura said pleased her good cheer restored._

_"Hey, Monster, he's a guest." Toya glared at her._

_"Yes, Sakura-san, I'm surprised at you," Fujitaka added uncharacteristically stern._

_Sakura looked at her plate abashed._

_"Kinomoto-sensei, Kinomoto-san, I don't mind helping Kinomoto-chan. It's nothing really." The kid said quickly cutting off their reprimands._

"They don't have any reason to distrust him," Kerberos said sharply.

"And neither do we Kero-chan," Sakura reminded him pointedly. "Li-kun has done nothing, but help us."

"But why Sakura? What reason does he have to help us?" Kerberos demanded irritated by her unreasonable trust. "This is too big a deal for you to be so naïve!"

A flicker hurt skittered across her face before she turned to look out her window. "Did you ever think to ask him, Kerberos-san?" she asked coldly. The use of his full communicating her anger better than volume ever could.

"Sakura, I didn't mean-"

"I did. I asked him _weeks_ ago. Tomoyo-chan was there too and he told us both. He said that the reason he was helping me capture the Clow Cards was because he decided I would treat them well and they needed a kind master very much. He told me their happiness was very important to him and someday I would know why. I'm sure he would have told you too if you'd just asked. He respects you, I think, even though it is obvious you hold him in no such regard," she said sadly as she looked out the window.

"Respect has to be earned," Kerberos told her desperate to get her to understand.

Sakura let out a mirthless laugh. "Huh? And yet somehow you've earned his and kept it despite your attitude. He told me once that Kerberos has done more then he knows. I wonder what he means by that, Kerberos-san?"

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to doubt you it's just I don't understand him," Kerberos said at a loss on how make his mistress see his side. _I don't understand him so just I _can't_ trust him!_

"I've been having bad dreams these last few days. I never remember anything about them except for this feeling of impending doom, but when I'm with him I can forget about that feeling. He makes me feel safe, protected," she said softly and he could tell she was crying.

"Sakura," he said with a sad sigh.

She cried for a while and didn't talk to him for the rest of the day or at night. She didn't say goodbye to him when she left for her three day outdoors class trip. He didn't dare mention the strangled screams she'd made while she'd been sleeping.

He was sad he'd hurt his mistress, but he was also mad at her. The Kid wasn't necessarily telling the truth. That kid was hiding something, _lots_ of things, and he was dangerous because of the secrets he kept.

* * *

"Good morning Sakura-chan," Tomoyo greeted her best friend with a determined kind of happiness. Yesterday when Sakura had canceled their trip to the mall Tomoyo had thought she heard tears in her voice and one look at her morose face was confirmation of her fears.

"Good morning Tomoyo-chan," Sakura replied dully as she took a seat next to Tomoyo on the charter bus they were taking to beach where they always had outdoor classes.

"Good morning Sakura-san," Eriol adopting the same tone as Tomoyo.

"Good morning, Eriol-kun," she said with even less enthusiasm.

Tomoyo looked at her worriedly. Sakura was never this down. Not even on that day in first grade when everyone's mom came to class for an event and she didn't have one. This was different.

Tomoyo scanned the bus serendipitously for a boy amber eyed boy she'd come to know in the last few weeks. In a manner of moments she spotted him three rows from the back. No one sat beside him and those around him seemed hell bent on avoiding his gaze. Over the last few weeks most everyone had come to fear the brown haired boy. Li did not seem to mind since he actively avoided everyone's company except for Sakura and herself. And Eriol too, but Eriol didn't seem to like him all that much. Tomoyo found it all amusing because it was apparent to her Li could be very nice when he wanted to. The thing was he didn't seem to want to bother with most people.

She wished he was sitting near them because she was sure his presence would make Sakura feel much better. It was fun the see Sakura with her new crush even though she vehemently denied that she liked him that way. Although Tomoyo suspected that maybe her friend's feelings went even deeper than crush, but she felt it was too early to tell. She was thrilled on being able to capture the budding relationship on tape.

Li looked up and cast her a concerned look. She shrugged. She didn't know why Sakura was so down. He scowled frustrated before glaring out the window. Interesting. Obviously something was going on for Li to be so worried.

Tomoyo saw Eriol observing them from the corner of her eye and smiled pleasantly. When Sakura had told Tomoyo about her new magical duties she'd also told Eriol. Tomoyo didn't think her friend suspected that Eriol had already seen it coming. Tomoyo was pretty sure that's what he was doing here. Though it was obvious something had not gone to plan. He really didn't like Li and only tolerated him because of Sakura's unwavering trust in him. Tomoyo reflected wryly that it must be hard to not know someone's intentions when they already know yours. And if Li's cryptic comments were anything to go by Li knew exactly who Eriol was.

And no one knew who Li Syaoran was. He never spoke of his past in any sort of detail. It was almost as if he just appeared by magic, but he kept saying someday they'd know all they wanted and probably much more than that. "Sakura-chan, do you want to go sit by Li-kun?" Tomoyo asked her gently.

"Eh?" The question seemed to knock the girl out of her stupor. "Don't you want to sit with me?"

"Yes, but _you_ want to sit with him more," Tomoyo said slyly.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura wailed embarrassed. Her cheeks were pink.

"Go! You know you want to," Tomoyo said while shooing her away with her hands.

"But what about you," her friend insisted stubbornly.

Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. I'll sit by Eriol," she told her quickly while pushing her out of the seat.

"Hoe!" Sakura squealed as she fell on her butt in the aisle.

"Now go," Tomoyo said sternly even though she was smiling widely.

Sakura gingerly stood herself up. "Fine. I'll go. If that's how you want it." She turned to walk down the aisle before spinning around to her again. "Thank you Tomoyo-chan. I really do need to talk him about some things," Sakura confided to her softly before making her way to a very curious Li. He was probably wondering why she just pushed her 'dear Sakura-chan' to the floor.

"Why did you do that?" Eriol as they both watched Sakura sit down by Li.

"I didn't want her to sulk the whole bus ride," Tomooyo informed him cheerily.

"I don't fully trust, Li-san," Eriol said carefully.

"Well I suppose it's your loss then, ne? Sometimes even when we don't know why someone is doing something they can still mean us only the best. I would think you would of all people understand that," she scolded him gently.

Eriol's jaw clenched.

"I think the problem lies more with you than Li-kun. You don't like to be wrong. You don't like to be out of the loop and this time you're both," she told him more directly.

"How can you trust him so easily?" Eriol asked angrily his voice low, his eyes hard.

"I sense from him the same thing I sense from you. The desire to protect Sakura-chan. Although I think he's being a tad more direct. If you want me to distrust that feeling, I would then have to distrust _you_ as well." She kept her tone mild and her face agreeable, but she was actually kind of mad. She and Sakura had both given their trust to him. He should at least trust them even if he couldn't find it in him to trust Li.

Eriol's eyes became unreadable. "You have no idea what is going on," he told her harshly, sharply. Tomoyo had to steel herself to avoid flinching.

"I have at least as good a idea as you," she returned hotly. "If you will excuse me I think I will go sit with Naoko-chan," she said coldly before plopping down next to Naoko with far less than her normal calm.

"Good morning, Naoko-chan," she said, her voice almost fierce.

"Uh, good morning, Tomoyo-chan," Naoko replied hesitantly obviously taken aback by Tomoyo's odd demeanor. "Where's Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo didn't begrudge her the inquiry. She and Sakura did almost everything together after all.

"With Li-kun," Tomoyo said a little bit dreamy considering trying to sneak some footage with her camera.

"You know Tomoyo-chan I find it really strange you two are friends with him, especially Sakura-chan. He's so cold." Naoko shivered she also seemed to fear the boy. "I hear people have seen strange spirits enter his house at night and he talks to himself. There's something not right about him."

"Naoko-chan, Li-kun is really sweet when you get to know him," Tomoyo told her friend in a carefully friendly tone. It wasn't Naoko's fault Li was so scary. She supposed it was mostly his fault really.

"If you say so, Tomoyo-chan," Naoko said skeptically.

* * *

Sakura sat next to Li in a comfortable silence. Silence wasn't a problem with Li. Sakura never felt she needed to talk to fill it in for the simple reason that Li wasn't very talkative.

"Ne, Li-kun?" Sakura whispered so quietly she honestly wasn't sure if she wanted him to hear her words.

But of course he did hear her and he swiftly turned his head so his patient amber eyes asked her what was the matter.

"Do you ever have weird dreams?" She had never had such strange dreams until he gave her the Clow Book. She couldn't really remember any of them except her feelings of dread.

"Yes," he said shortly.

"Uh, are they scary sometimes? Do they seem like they might actually happen?"

"Yes."  
Sakura sighed. It was good to see Li as loquacious as ever. Sometimes it was really hard to get any real feedback from him. "I've been having weird dreams for the last few days, but I always forget what they're about except for last night, so maybe I've been having them longer and can't remember," she explained to him haltingly. She really wished she'd continued to forget her dreams.

"What was your dream about?" he asked her calmly. His amber eyes seemed to be trying to look inside her head.

Sakura swallowed nervously. "It was- I-you," she tried to say before giving up.

Silence once again descended upon them while Li waited for her to continue. There was no pressure in his stare, but she didn't think she could remain silent forever under his scrutiny. _She _would most likely go insane while Li just wondered exactly what her dream had been about. She took a deep breath. "I was outside. It was on some street I can't quite remember the name of. It was near my brother's apartment. You-You were trying to kill me. I was pleading with you although I don't know what I said. There was no sound. And then- And then you ran at me again with your sword and I blocked it with my staff, but it broke. And then your sword was coming down towards me," she said shakily. Surprised she realized she'd been crying. She couldn't seem to find the energy to wipe her face though she just looked at Li wondering what he was going to say.

His face was a mask of indifference, but Sakura could tell he was shaken. Slowly he turned away from her and looked out the window. "I've had that dream for as long as I can remember."

Sakura shivered. It wasn't what she was expecting him to say and it certainly wasn't what she _wanted_ him to say. It was obvious he didn't like the dream any better than she did. Tentatively she held one of his hands in both of hers causing him to straighten in his seat, but he did not pull away. "Ne, Li-kun, you know I don't care what happens in a silly dream. I could never doubt you. Maybe it's a weird metaphor or something," she said trying to spike her voice with cheer, involuntarily clutching his hand harder.

In the background she could hear Chiharu shouting at Yamazaki and she felt a little envious of the couple. They didn't have to worry about scary reoccurring dreams.

Not that Sakura thought her and Li were a couple! Sakura blushed at the thought was glad Tomoyo wasn't there and Li was looking out the window.

"Thank you. Thank you for trusting me. I know Kerberos and Blue Boy don't," he said carefully he voice almost monotone making Sakura smile. When Li really wanted to say something he hardly said anything at all.

"Well, I think, Kero-chan will eventually come around. Eriol-kun would probably like you more if you did_n't_ call him Blue Boy," Sakura told him plainly.

Li turned to face her. "That first time was because I honestly didn't know his name," he said mock defensively.

"And all the other times after that?" Sakura asked him suspiciously.

He gave her an almost bashful smile that managed to look completely evil. "Those were to piss him off."

"Li-kun!"

"That is my name. You _are_ a sharp one, Kinomoto-chan."

"Oh, Li-kun you're so-The beach!" Sakura nearly screamed interrupting herself.

"I'm so the beach?" Li asked her clearly puzzled.

"No, we're at the beach. Beach, beach, beach," Sakura started chanting with increasing enthusiasm.

"Well, yeah, that's where we're having the outdoor class. It makes sense we actually got here," he said perturbed at her exuberant joy. However Sakura paid him no mind and continued her chant. Li wasn't the only one of the students in her class confused by her behavior, but those who knew her shook their heads. Sakura certainly loved the beach.

It surprised no one that she was the first in the water. Since it was colder than in the summer most of the students had opted for hiking rather than swimming. Sakura had signed up for both. So she would spend one day at the beach and the next in the woods. The last day an outdoor sports competition was going to be held.

Sakura glided through the chill water happily. The water wasn't too cold with it still being September. Nothing beat swimming in the ocean.

So blissful was she that it took her a second to realize someone was swimming next to her. A quick glance showed it was Li. She stopped swimming and started treading water and he quickly stopped beside her.

"I didn't know you liked to swim, Li-kun."

"You didn't ask."

"That's your excuse for everything, isn't it?"

"Yup."

Sakura prepared to hit him when another idea struck her. "Ne, Li-kun, you wanna race?"

"To where," he asked promptly. Sakura had come to realize he was actually very competitive in things he enjoyed.

"Just back to the shore."

"Okay."

The both nodded at each other before counting out loud together.

"One."

"Two."

Three! Sakura shouted in her head before shooting forward in the water. Li ,she noticed, was as strong swimmer like her and their race was going to be close. She could distantly here Tomoyo cheering in the distance and realized that they now had an audience.

_Hmmm. Let's make this a little more interesting._

With a small smile she allowed her self to sink into the water like she was drowning.

She waited until she saw Li turn around before swimming very quickly under the water. When she resurfaced she triumphantly saw she'd put a good 30 feet between her and her competition.

Discovering her he deceit shouted something distinctly angry at her, but she was already in motion. However fury must have given Li the strength and speed of a torpedo because it seemed in a matter of seconds Li had caught up to her and was pulling her underwater. He made sure she could see his smirk before he allowed her to resurface. After taking a deep breath she demanded, "Why'd you do that?"

"Oh, sorry. But you were drowning. Don't worry I'll make sure you make it safely back to shore," he said patronizingly.

"I'm fine," Sakura growled.

"Yes you're right. I'm not going to let you drown," he said solemnly. It was then the Sakura noticed how close they were to shore and that Li was pulling her along. When she tried to wiggle out of his grasp he just tightened his hold. Soon the water was shallow enough that he could walk and started to carry her to where many students in the class were waiting as well a very concerned looking teacher.

"Put me down," she hissed noticing how much drama this was generating.

"But you almost drowned," Li said his voice the epitome of concern even if his amused smirk wasn't.

"Gah! Put me down! People are going to think I really was drowning," she whined.

"You weren't _really_ drowning?" And if Sakura didn't know better she would have thought he was, in fact, shocked.

Any other protests she had were cut off as a very worried Tomoyo ran up to her through the foot deep water separating them. The girl as always had her camera out, but she wasn't even filming and didn't seem in the least worried about it getting wet.

"Sakura-chan!" the normally calm girl called as she closed the gap between them.

"Tomoyo-chan don't worry. I'm fine," Sakura assured. It wasn't a lie. It wasn't like she'd actually been drowning.

Tomoyo stopped a few feet away from her. "Really?"

"Really."

"Okay!" she chirped as she whipped her camera into position. "Sakura-chan in Li-kun's arms is so romantic and cute!" she said her eyes sparkling.

Sakura's face heated uncomfortably. "Tomo- Li-kun!" Said boy had just dropped her. She sunk to the boot of the foot of water with a large splash. So what if she wanted him to let her go. She didn't want to be dropped! "Ouch! You could have given me some warning," she said venomously.

"You didn't ask."

Sakura was once again chasing but, but this time on land. And this time she really was going to hit him!

* * *

"Sakura-chan, I think I'll send you a copy of that picture once I get it developed," Tomoyo informed her dreamily from the bunk above her.

"Tomoyo-chan! You can't do that!"

"Oh my gosh you're right! I need to send Li-kun a copy as well," she said sounding sincerely dismayed.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

"But you have to admit you were so flirting with Li-san," Chiharu told her on a giggle.

Sakura could hear Naoko and Rika murmur in agreement.

"He started it!" Sakura said defensively.

"Ohoho!" Tomoyo cheered.

"Really? You know he's acted more human here than ever has at school," Rika said thoughtfully.

"Yeah. He so totally blushed before he dropped you into the water. What did Tomoyo-chan say?" Chiharu mused aloud.

"I guess I lost my bet with Yamazaki-kun and Eriol-kun," Naoko said morosely.

"What did you bet on?" Sakura asked curious.

"Oh, we each tried to guess what Li-san really was. I thought he was an android and Eriol-kun was sure he was a demon from hell."

"Hoe!!" Sakura exclaimed at the last part. Eriol really must not like Li-kun.

"What did Takashi-kun think he was?" Chiharu asked. The others could already feel her getting mad at her boyfriend. "What crazy things did he think Li-san was?"

"That's the thing. He just said he was human."

Sakura left out a happy sigh. Li was human just like the rest of them. He just acted a little weird. She was glad that even someone as confusing a Yamazaki could see that too.

"Oh," Chiharu said surprised as a giant balloon of anger seemed to deflate in the room. Everyone sighed in relief.

"Sometimes Yamazaki-kun can be very perceptive," Tomoyo said diplomatically.

"That's true. Have you guys heard the story about the ghost in the woods?"

"Na-o-ko-chan!" Tomoyo, Rika and Chiharu scolded in unison.

"Hoe!" she screamed alarmed. She was going into those woods tomorrow.

"Jeez, you might have just mentioned one to many you-know-whats in front of Sakura-chan!" Chiharu continued to reprimand Naoko.

"Oh, I though she was over that," Naoko squeaked ashamed in face of Chiharu's rage.

"Sakura-chan will probably be scared of ghosts until she meets something scarier," Chiharu snapped back immediately gasping at her own words. "I'm so sorry Sakura-chan. I didn't mean it like that!"

"It's okay. I'm alright. I'm really not that scared of ghosts anymore," Sakura managed to say without even tripping over the word ghost.

The room filled with sighs of relief and the sighs of sleep quickly followed.

"Sakura-chan are you really alright." Tomoyo's voice floated down to her gently and she smiled in appreciation of her best friend.

"Of course Tomoyo-chan. I have the Clow Cards to deal with now. It would be silly to still be terrified of ghosts," Sakura smoothly even though her insides felt cold. The Clow Card didn't actually seem that dangerous and were a lot less terrifying than ghosts, but she didn't want Tomoyo to worry.

"I'm so proud of you, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura winced in shame. Soon she could hear Tomoyo sleeping above her as well. Silently she rose from her bed and grabbed her coat before creeping out of the cabin like a burglar doing backwards breaking and entering.

Once she was outside she sighed a breath of relief until she felt a strange presence by the beach. "Clow Card." Of course no one was around to hear the words and she already knew.

She broke out into a run the Clow Card felt like it was on the beach.

While she might have been expecting any number of things when she reached the sandy beach and the lapping waves, two Lis was not one of them.

"Hoe!!"

The two identically scowling Lis turned towards her. "The stupid Mirror Card has decided to clone me! She says you'll have to decide who the fake if you want to capture her!" they both growled in unison.

Sakura blinked as they continued to glare at each other. Sakura wasn't intimidated by Li, really, but two of his glares in contest with the other was rather forbidding.

"How do I do that?" she queried nervously.

The Lis scowled harder causing her to wince. They might break their faces looking that angry. "Use your practice with sensing auras!"

"Alright." Sakura wasn't very good at that yet, but she supposed a human and a Clow Card would have radically different auras. She closed her eyes and tried to determine which on of them was the Clow Card. She wasn't used to detecting sorcerer auras so that should be easier. First she turned to the one on her right. It felt like a Clow Card. _So_, she thought as she turned to the left one, _the other will not._

"Hoe! You both feel like Clow Cards! I think you're too close together for me to tell."

"Well, then think of something else! Mirror I'm going to get you for this!" Li threatened…himself. Sakura sweat dropped. It was almost funny if it wasn't so awkward.

"Okay. Ano. What would Li know that Mirror-san couldn't possibly know?" she wondered.

"That's it! Ask us about your dream. Mirror wouldn't know," both the Lis assured her before sending each other a glare.

"Okay what was my dream about? Please answer at the same time," she asked them both politely.

The one on the left confidently said, "Me."

While the one on the right rush her with a magical appeared sword! He stopped just before he would have impaled her. "Er, hello, Li-kun."

"What! No way!" the Li who was now revealed as Mirror said sounding absolutely disgusted. "You're _both_ having that dream! That's just morbid," Mirror said obviously dismayed, but in such a girlie way. Even the clones stance was different. The effect was disconcerting.

"Shut up, Mirror," Li said annoyed.

"But it's true. Wait until I tell Windy about this! Then everybody is going to know!"

"Mirror, please don't."

"But Windy loves to gossip. I couldn't deny her some fun. Besides it's your fault." Mirror had put her hands on her hips in a decidedly female stance. Sakura started laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Li asked at the same time Mirror inquired, "Like what's so funny?"

Sakura started laughing harder. It was too funny seeing Lis body act so girlish. She actually wished Tomoyo had been filming so they could have it on film.

"I guess I'll tell Windy your girlfriend is crazy too," Mirror said sadly. This comment cut through Sakura's hilarity like a knife.

"Hoe!"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"You haven't asked her out yet?" Mirror asked appalled actually causing Li to blush. Sakura could also feel her face heating. "Well hurry up and do it."

"Mirror!"

"Sakura and Xiao Lang sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-"

"Shut. Up!" Li looked like he was about to attempt murder. Sakura was actually afraid for the card's safety even though she didn't think a Clow Card could be harmed too easily. She quickly called up her wand as she Mirror continued unphased by Li's anger.

"I-N-G! First comes-"

"Ne, Mirror-san?"

"Call Mirror-chan sweety," Mirror insisted.

"Er, Mirror_-chan­ _could you please return to the guise you were meant to be in?" _Before I die of embarrassment?_

"Well since you asked so nicely." Mirror quickly flowed into a card a the end of her wand.

Sakura and Li both heaved sighs of relief as the Mirror Card drifted to Sakura's hand.

"Well she was very nice."

"And very annoying. What are you doing out here anyway? Mirror was going to surprise you tomorrow."

"Oh, well it's nothing really." It seemed silly that she was scared of ghosts all things considered.

"Nothing has you wandering around late at night? Say you're not sneaking off to meet some boy, are you? I would feel obligated to tell your brother."

Sakura paled at the thought. "Of course not! Don't tell Onii-chan that! I'm not sneaking out to meet some boy!" She imagined her brother murdering half the boys at her school in an homicidal rage.

"I know. So why are you out here?"

Sakura looked at the ground. She just couldn't tell him she was afraid of ghosts. She was in high school for cry out loud. "Why are _you_ out here?" Sakura smirked as she turned the question back on him.

"Well, I had chat with Hiiragizawa."

"You had a civil conversation with Eriol-kun," Sakura asked completely stunned. She knew her mouth was hanging open a little, but she didn't care. "Really?"

"Well, actually no. I ended up killing him and I just got back from disposing of the body," Li said completely straight-faced.

"Hoe!"

"I'm kidding," he assured her exasperated.

"I know, I know, but still." The scenario was entirely too likely for her tastes. "What did you guys talk about?"

"My family. Where I've been. Blue Boy doesn't trust me at all. You'd think I killed his kitten or something," Li said obviously disgusted. Sakura didn't know what was more funny, the idea of Eriol with a kitten or Li going on a psychotic kitten killing spree. Actually the last one wasn't funny at all. Her sense of humor was awfully strange lately.

"Oh."

"So what are you doing up?"

Sakura sighed. She couldn't think of another distraction so she just decided to blurted it out. "I'm afraid of ghosts." It all came out in a rush and _she_ almost didn't know what words just flew out of her mouth.

There was long pause and Sakura convinced herself Li hadn't heard and was getting ready to make her getaway.

"You know most ghosts are friendly. You actually have to look for the dangerous ones."

"Really?" Sakura liked the sound of that because she totally wasn't going to look for mean ghosts.

"Would I lie to you?"

Sakura shook her head. Li might avoid the truth, but he never actually outright lied as far as she knew. They both didn't say anything after that. Eventually Sakura actually started to feel sleepy. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. Good night, Li-kun."

"Good night." Before she turned to go Sakura sent on last look at Li. He was looking out the ocean very intensely. She shivered. Sometimes, even when she was standing right next to him, Li felt very, very far away.

* * *

Eriol was pretty sure some god enjoyed playing with him. The day before he'd gone hiking and it had been a wonderfully relaxing communion with nature. That wasn't what was happening the moment though. When Li Xiao Lang was around he rarely had any fun it seemed.

"So Li-kun do you know anything about Egypt?"

"Well, I lived there for a while."

"Amazing! You've sure been a lot of places!"

"I guess."

Eriol ground his teeth in irritation. Earlier Yamazaki had started an elaborate lie about the origins hiking and Eriol had felt compelled to verify and embellish it. Li even seemed to believe them both which actually lightening his mood for a second. The Li Xiao Lang he'd been expecting also was gullible in that sense. In recent years Eriol had remember nearly every situation that was supposed to happen concerning Sakura and his descendant. So he knew about a whole section of time that never actually happened. It was rather annoying really: completely pointless.

However Li could never leave it so Eriol was satisfied. When Yamazaki mentioned camel herding he just had to mention he'd done that. Eriol really hadn't seen that coming. So now him and Yamazaki were swapping stories. Yamazaki telling lies and Li, undoubtedly, telling a vague, blurry version of the truth. It was enough to give him a headache.

Their chat last night had given him no answers and had left him unsettled.

_"Li Xiao Lang, I just recently went to Hong Kong."_

_It was a quiet night and the coming in of the tide wasn't loud enough to bury his words. So it was frustrating when the boy with his back turned to him didn't say anything._

_"I spoke with your grandmother, Li Mei Di."_

_Li inhaled sharply. "What did you talk with about? Did you talk to my mother as well?"_

_Eriol frowned at him confused. It seemed Li really didn't know his mother was dead. That was rather curious, but it fit with what Mei Di had told him. After all the boy who she helped disappear 14 years ago did not think his mother and sisters were dead. And for those 14 years the Li Clan had been rather private and not much was known about them anymore._

_"I asked her about the day you disappeared."_

_"I see."_

_Eriol wanted to hit him or something. Nothing ever seemed to cause him to react how he would expect. He was too cool, too collected. It was down right annoying. Tomoyo's words from the bus rudely replayed in his mind. It wasn't only that. This wasn't just him being petty because someone else was more mysterious than him. It wasn't._

_It couldn't be. He sighed. Whatever was going on it was way bigger than something so silly._

But I still don't have to like him. I'm human and I can act irrationally if I choose._ It may have been stupid, but Eriol too let his emotions guide sometimes._

_"What exactly do you see?" he snapped._

_Li just remained silent._

_"Answer. Me."_

_"What Clow Reed's reincarnation doesn't know?"_

_Eriol's eye twitched. So he did know about that. _

_"Did you talk to my mother? She knows a little more than my grandmother, I think."_

_"No," he said, "I couldn't get an audience with her." I couldn't because she was dead! She's dead. But he couldn't find it in him to say the words. He was sure that if he did Li would react. React spectacularly, but he knew it would be cruel. It wasn't something he thought his descendant was ready to know. However irritating he found him there was no justification for him to do something so callous._

_It occurred to him that as vexed as he was with the current state of affairs, as annoyingly vague Li spoke, he knew that whatever can of worms Li Xiao Lang had opened 14 years ago was not something he wanted to be involved with directly._

_Most worrisome was that he felt guilty. Very much so, but he'd done nothing to provoke this. He had never even been to Hong Kong before he visited Mei Di. It wasn't his fault, but somehow he felt that wasn't entirely true._

"Oi, Hiiragizawa, check this out!" Yamazaki's voice snapped him back to reality. A very strange reality. In front of them the woods seem to fold up on themselves. It was like a part of the woods had fallen into another dimension and the edge around they missing area were zipped together.

"That's rather peculiar," he said honestly surprised. He didn't know the Erase Card could do that.

Li was already walking towards to edge. "Uh, Li-kun maybe you shouldn't go over there," Yamazaki advised, but it was too late. Li walked right up to the edge and blinked out of existence. Eriol couldn't even sense his aura.

"Hiiragizawa, what just happened?"

Eriol just shrugged. He couldn't very well tell him Li just fell into a pocket of nothing after all.

* * *

Syaoran quickly found himself in a blank white expanse. It stretched forever precisely because it was actually nowhere if he correctly remembered what Erase had told him once. Turning his head he could feel Sakura in what he was pretty sure was north pf him, but maybe direction didn't mean anything in the place he was in. Suddenly he looked up to find Sakura falling from somewhere above him above. He generously decided to catch her.

After he set her down she thanked him profusely with a light blush on her cheeks. "Uh, thanks for catching me. It's kind of hard to tell where you're going in here, don't you think? What's your name anyways," she asked searching his face intently.

He momentarily taken aback until he realized Erase must have disappeared some of her memories.

"Li Syaoran."

"That's seems familiar somehow," she said thoughtfully. "Do you know where we are?"

"The Erase Card has essentially put us in a space she erased from the physical world."

"Erase Card?"

Syaoran considered her response. It seemed Erase gotten rid of all her last month's memories. He wasn't sure why. "It seems to be another thing you've forgotten."

"Hoe? Forgotten?"

"Yes, an hour ago you knew who I was."

"I did?"

"Yes and you were madly in love with me," he said deadpan.

"Hoe!"

"Yes, my favorite noise ever."

Sakura's now brilliant red face was in very stark contrast to their pure white surroundings. "You're messing with me!"

"That's highly probable."

"Li-kun!"

"Yes?"

"Never mind. How do we get out of here? You seem like you know."

"Is that so?"

"You're good at talking all sideways, aren't you?"

"It has been said."

"Gah! Never mind. Let's go this way," she growled obviously irritated as she grabbed his hand and pulled him determinedly behind her.

"You're holding my hand?" He wasn't exactly blushing, but it was unexpected.

"Bashful now, are we? Well excuse me Mister-love-of-my-life, but I don't want to lose you in this weird place. I'm pretty sure we're _friends _and I'm also sure I lost the people I came in with," she informed him tartly. She was pretty sharp he observed.

"You can remember all that?" Her powers most be growing more than he realized if she could even recall that much after Erase had blanked her mind.

"I guess. How did we meet?"

"I gave you a book."

"You gave me a book?"

"Yes a magical book." He nodded to show her was serious when she glance back at him.

Sakura halted. "A magical book?" she said skeptically.

"Yes. And then you put a spell on me. So now I'm yours forever," he told her with a completely unnecessary wink.

Sakura looked at him for a beat or two and then a minute. "I'm not quite sure what you mean, but somehow I don't think you're not exactly lying either."

"Yes."

"That's _very_ helpful Li-kun," she said sarcastically.

"Well, I thought it was."

"I think I'm getting a headache. Let's keep going. We're almost there," Sakura grumbled sounding quite mysterious herself.

Syaoran smiled to himself. The _were_ almost to where Erase was waiting. Sakura was doing well.

"Ne, Li-kun, what's this weird baton I'm holding? It was in my hand when I found myself here," she asked as she waved the baton above her head with the hand that wasn't pulling him around.

"It's your wand."

"And what? That's how I 'put a spell on you'?" He could hear the quotes.

He shook his head even though she couldn't see him. "No. You did that before the wand came into your possession."

"Li-kun I didn't really put a spell on you? Did I?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"Of course you did," Syaoran assured her.

"Your confusing and it's starting to annoy me," Sakura told him crossly. She sounded like she was clenching her teeth.

"_He is rather irritating sometimes, isn't he?"_

They both turned around to find Erase looking at them with a carefree smile on her face.

"Erase," he said to notify Sakura who she was.

"Are trying to say she's the card you mentioned earlier?! Li-kun she's a person!" Sakura's tone suggested he was a retard.

"_Actually, Kinomoto-chan, I'm not_," Erase said obviously amused.

"Hoe!"

Erase laughed. "_You are pretty cute. I can see why Xiao Lang over there has a crush on you. And are you two holding hands? That's so cute! Wait till I tell Windy she's gonna like cause a tornado in her excitement!"_

Quickly Sakura dropped Syaoran's hand like it was poisonous. "Ano, if you're not a human, then what exactly are you? And are speaking another language."

"_Yes. I am speaking another language how cool of you to understand me. I'm a card just like Xiao Lang said. If you can remember the magical words you can return me to my truest form_," Erase said slyly as she tapped her temple with her pointer finger.

"Magical words?"

"_Yes and don't you dare help her Xiao Lang. Our previous master had no one to tell him the words. Besides it would be better if she became better at finding knowledge from within her for her own safety_," Erase said enigmatically.

Syaoran frowned, but nodded in agreement. He was sure Sakura could do it besides.

"Hoe? Knowledge from within?" Sakura's face was bewildered.

"_Yes. I have confidence you can do it and so does Xiao Lang_," Erase assured her gently.

"Um, okay. I'll just think really hard I guess."

"_You do that_." Erase waited until Sakura was deep in thought before continuing. "_Xiao Lang I heard she is now having that dream too. I have to agree with Mirror that's so morbid_."

"I didn't ask you," Syaoran said menacingly.

"What dream?" Sakura asked obviously distracted. She was staring very hard at a point in the distance.

"You'll remember soon enough," he told her. _Unfortunately._

"Okay."

"Erase why did you erase her memories?"

"_I already said_," Erase smirked.

"Yes, I know, but why did you say that?"

"_Don't forget who taught you how to talk in circles Xiao Lang_."

"I thought that was Time."

"_No, that crazy old coot gave you the dubious gift of his unique brand of _humor_. Although I hesitate to call it such_." Erase sniffed in disdain.

"I think he's funny."

"_Exactly my point. It's sad really. He's too strange to be funny_."

"Are you saying I'm too strange to be funny?"

"_Well, kind of, but you're a lot cuter than old, wrinkly Time_."

"I think I've got it!" Sakura exclaimed.

"_Really? That was quick_," Erase said doubtful.

"It's abracadabra isn't it?"

Both Syaoran and Erase exchanged looks of disbelief. "_You're not serious, are you_?" Erase asked her eye twitching.

"Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Kinomoto-chan, _that_ is not even close!" Syaoran said slowly.

"Alakazam?"

"No."

"Open sesame!!"

"Look you have to use your wand to turn Erase back into a card. Try to thinking along those lines."

"Oh. Okay."

"_She's kind of ditzy, in an absolutely adorable way, mind you_," Erase commented.

"Yeah," he agreed distractedly.

"Don't _agree_ with her, Li-kun!" Sakura reprimanded him.

"_Yeah don't agree with me Xiao Lang_," Erase teased. "_Unless, of course, you're agreeing with adorable part._"

"Just hurry up and figure out what to say already," he grumbled. Mirror and Erase had always been annoying. He imagined they were as annoying as his older sisters would have been if he had stayed in Hong Kong. He didn't remember them well though. Someday he hoped to fix that..

"I'm trying. It's not like I know what I'm looking for, Li-kun," she said obviously irritated.

"Not my problem."

"I think you must have driven me crazy! That's why I can't remember you!"

"And yet here I am. All ready to do it again." Sakura looked like she was going to explode. "Aren't you trying to do something?"

"Leave me alone! Go walk around or something," she said fed up.

"But you weren't worried about losing me?"

"I got over it. Go! I need to concentrate."

"_Oooh, sent to the dog house, Xiao Lang!_" Erase jeered.

Syaoran ignored her and went for a stroll. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, but eventually the never ending white around him disappeared. He found himself facing Sakura and Erase. Erase was bouncing around her excitedly.

"_You did it, Kinomoto-chan! I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it!" _Erased said with enthusiasm he thought only Daidoji could beat and that was only a maybe.

"Ano, it was nothing. I think I may have done something like that before."

Erase just squealed.

"Er, weren't you supposed to become a card or something?" Sakura as hesitantly.

Erase laughed. "_I did. Remember? I did back there._"

Sakura 'hoe'ed. "I meant why aren't you still one now?" Sakura was scratching the back of her head.

"_I decided to leave that form._"

Sakura sighed. "But, like, why?"

"_I have to make your friends reappear. Besides don't you want your memory back?"_

"Hoe!" Erase laughed again and Syaoran bit his lip to restrain his amusement. There was only one Kinomoto Sakura.

Everything turned white for a second before Erase dissolved back into a card and Daidoji and one of Sakura's other friends popped into existence in between Syaoran and Sakura.

"Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura cried as she gave her best friend a death squeeze.

"Good to see you too Sakura-chan, but we've been together this whole time."

"We have?"

"Are you alright, Sakura-chan?" the friend he couldn't identify asked. He believed she was the one always beating up Yamazaki for some reason. "Do you need to sit down? Drink some water?"

Sakura laughed uncertainly. "No, no. I'm fine Chiharu-chan."

"Well, if you say so," the girl replied reluctantly.

"Hello, Li-kun," Daidoji greeted. Sakura and the other one turned to face him. Sakura scowled at him _I guess she's still mad_.

"Hello, Daidoji-chan. How is your hike going?"

"It's swell, but you know, I could swear we were just somewhere else."

"Me too," he said with a smile. Daidoji blinked at him.

"Li-kun!" Sakura scolded.

"Er, what do you mean by that, Li-san?" the girl asked him nervously.

"Oh, nothing. I suppose," he said casually as Sakura murdered him with her eyes.

"Oh, alright then," the girl said obviously disturbed.

"Li-kun!" He turned around to and saw Yamazaki walking quickly over to his position. Blue Bly followed at a much more relaxed pace. "Where did you go? You just disappeared into thin air!"

Syaoran didn't even have anytime to reply because the girl he didn't know whacked Yamazaki smartly on the head. Syaoran winced. He hoped Sakura didn't get any ideas from that girl. "Stop making things up!"

Syaoran felt sorry for the guy. He was actually telling the truth and this girl just sentenced him without a trial. "But Chiharu-chan, I wasn't lying."

The girl, Chiharu, growled. "Yeah, yeah. You _weren't_ lying. I _so_ believe you."

"But really. This time-"

"Ta-ka-shi-kun," she said drawing out the name. "Shut up."

Yamazaki examined her for a moment before smiling at the rest of them. "Alright." He shrugged. "Li-kun, come on. Let's get back to our hike."

Li just nodded. He waved bye to Sakura and Daidoji over his shoulder.

* * *

Tomoyo and Sakura sat next each other on the steps leading to their cabin. Tomoyo examined her friend closely. Sakura seemed to be contemplating something. She been quieter since that strange part of their walk where Li just popped up. "What are you thinking about, Sakura-chan?"

"Today the Erase card pulled me into a pocket of nothing, you and Chiharu-chan as well."

"Oh," Tomoyo said amazed. That something that fantastic had occurred without her realizing. It was almost unbelievable. "I don't remember."

"She erased your memory. She erased my memories of the last month so I had to find the magic words within me. Knowledge from within."

Tomoyo sent a sideways glance at Sakura. They'd been friends as long as she could remember. She'd never seen her so thoughtful, tranquil almost. "How did you find this knowledge?"

"It was like I was reaching very far away. So far away that I could never reach it and still, I somehow did." Sakura clutched her Clow Key in her hand. "It was warm. When I finally found it I couldn't stop thinking of my mother. I think somehow I've done it before. Reaching like that, but I can't remember when."

"My Sakura-chan looks so mysterious in the moonlight," Tomoyo said happily as she considered her friend soaked in the half moon's rays.

"Uh, thanks, I think, Tomoyo-chan." Tomoyo could see her blush lightly and fidget a little.

"This knowledge from within. Do you think you'll need it?"

"Well, Erase kind of implied I would."

"Sometimes I wonder what road Li-kun and the cards are leading you down."

"You think they're leading me somewhere?"

"Don't you?"

Tomoyo watched Sakura as she paused obviously thinking.

"I asked Li-kun the other day about my question. About how he communicated with the cards when the were sealed up." Sakura picked up a pebble on the stair she was sitting on and rolled it between her pointer finger and thumb.

"And?"

"He said the book was made to seal Clow Cards in and keep people out," Sakura said clearly vexed. She flicked to pebble hard into a nearby bush.

"But we already know that." Tomoyo's brain was thinking. Why would Li tell them something they already knew?

"I know! And then he's like 'Consider the possibilities.' before he skips off into the night!"

Tomoyo giggled. "Li-kun didn't _skip_ off to anywhere." It was ludicrous to imagine him skipping even without his scowl.

"That's _not_ the point, Tomoyo-chan."

"Daidoji-chan, I hope you're charging your camera right now. Shot has been dying to play baseball for a century."

Tomoyo and Sakura's attention were drawn to the path running in front of their cabin. They could see Li's practically running away. Apparently he didn't want to stop and chat.

"Er, Sakura-chan, what do you think he meant by that?"

"You expect me to know?"

"Sakura-chan watches Li-kun as carefully as I watch her," Tomoyo said bluntly.

"Tomoyo-chan!"

"Sakura-chan is blushing!"

"Tomoyo-chan!"

* * *

There were many activities planned for all day sports competition and baseball happened to be one of them. Sakura thought back to Li's words the night before. Shot has been dying to play baseball? What did that mean.

She was still wondering that when she got up to bat and none other than Li was pitching. She swung her bat a few times before stepping into the batter's box. Instead of pitching her the ball, Li walked up to her. Baffling everyone including his teammates.

"The goal is to get to home base without being tagged out," he said seriously.

"Er, I know Li-kun. I've played before," Sakura said embarrassed. Did he think she was stupid or something?

"I just thought I'd warn you," he replied before returning to the pitching mound. He threw a curve ball she swung at and missed, but his next ball, a fast ball, made contact with her bat. It was flying high and far. It was going to land past a line that would make it a home run. At least it would have if it hadn't started floating mid-air and turning to careen back at her with impossible speed.

_"Shot has been dying to play baseball for a century."_

He meant the Shot Card and it was coming right at her!

_"The goal is to get to home base without being tagged out. I just thought I'd warn you."_

That meant. She watched the ball continue to speed her way.

_I need to run!_

Sakura started running to first base and she could see out of the corner of her that the ball had changed course. "Hoe!"

She managed to get to first base, but continued on to second. She realized regardless of whether she was technically safe the Shot was challenging her to get to home. She could hear her teammates cheering her own even if they sounded confused to how the ball was chasing her like that.

She was almost to second base when she felt the ball behind. She did a back flip and then cart wheeled into the out field before zigzagging managing to pick up second base. To get to third she had to run all through the out field. She even had to move someone's hand so they 'caught' the ball briefly detaining it was she ran over third.

Home was an eternity away and every time she got close the ball was there! Finally she managed to jump over the ball after charging just landing on home base before she felt the ball lightly bump into from behind.

"Safe!"

Everyone including the other team burst out into applause. No one was quite sure what happened though. Even though she felt exhausted she quickly picked the ball, the ball that had chased her across the field. "Shot, could you stay in there just a little longer?" she whispered.

She fell a small wave of energy from the ball that sounded like an enthusiastic yes.

She smiled evilly.

Her smile was downright maniacal the next inning when Li came up to bat. The pitcher had wondered why she wanted to switch with them, but had reluctantly given up the position. Maybe it had been the unusual glint I her eyes.

If Li noticed her malevolent smirk he didn't show it. He quickly raised his bat.

"Okay. Let's give Li-kun a little of his own medicine."

She threw the ball straight towards the strike zone. Li smile smiled just a little before he bunted the ball! She was confused. Obviously he knew what she was doing, but bunting didn't give him a very big head start.

She could watched reluctantly amused as Li ran the bases like she had, but taunting the ball the whole time, calling it slow and blind and stupid ect. At first the class looked on dismayed as another ball (they didn't realize it was the same ball) was chasing another student around and that the said student was talking to it, but by the time Li slid to home base the whole class was cheering him on like they had her.

Li picked up the ball and ran up to her.

"Here. I believe this is yours."

"Yeah, thanks."

* * *

Toya rubbed his face wearily. He'd been aware of magic since he could remember. He'd always known things. Sensed things. He was surprised Sakura was just now becoming aware of her power. It took a magical book shoved in her face, but she was finally starting to realize.

He didn't like it.

His thoughts stray to a monster of a different sort. Demon. That boy he was leading his sister into danger. Toya should kill him, but he couldn't. He didn't think it was the boy's fault. He didn't _feel_ that way. Besides he trusted him for some reason. He like him.

_"Probably because you met me before I met your sister."_

Toya snorted. That might have been true to a point, but was almost like-Almost like they'd _almost_ met before. Like he saw him in a crowd and was going to talk to him, but something came up. The crowd left. They didn't talk after all.

Sakura her magic was growing and he could feel it, but it had always been strong. Lately it was like when she was younger. When she did things that he couldn't even understand.

He remembered a time when his mom was still alive. Sakura had turned three a couple months before.

_Sakura was sitting at her mother's feet in the living room begging to stay up. Insisting she wasn't tired even though her words were slurring together and her eyes were practically closed. Toya thought his sister was a silly little monster sometimes. He would say stupid, but her innocent charm stopped him from thinking it, if not saying it. It was his duty to tease after all._

_His father was away at a conference at a university in China, but mostly to visit an old friend of his._

_He looked at his younger sister it was eight o clock and it was obvious she was tired. He felt proud of his ten year old bedtime of 9:30. Sometimes he would stay up until ten and no one was ever the wiser. She was sitting cross legged bouncing a little despite her weary state._

_"Okaa-san, pleeeeeeeeaase."_

_His mother smiled gently at her. "Well okay. Come up here sit next to me, but I don't want to hear any whining when we have to get up early to go visit Aunt Sonomi and Tomoyo-chan."_

_Toya snorted. Sakura _never_ wanted to get up. He wondered if it was because her dreams were that great or if it was just part of being a monster. Stomping through the house probably is tough on a body, especially a girl one._

_"Hai!" Sakura chirped, even though he and his mother knew she'd be asleep long before the hour long show was over, but she surprised him. She managed to watch the TV blearily the whole hour and even demanded to stay up another hour! But she might as well been sleep talking because her eyes were closed._

_"Sweetie, I think it's time for you to go to bed," his mother said tenderly as she pushed some hair off Sakura's forehead. "You're tired." The small girl was slumped into her mother's lap._

_Sakura shook her head. She frowned, but her frown was her stubborn one. It wasn't the one for things like defying her bedtime. Toya knew all her frowns and smiles, but this one was strange. It seemed afraid and sad and oddly determined._

_"Silly, Sakura-chan," his mother cooed tapping her nose, but she didn't giggle like she normally would. She slowly sat up and looked straight ahead with unfocused eyes. "Sakura-chan?"_

_Sakura shivered like she was cold. "It's cold, but Okaa-san and Onii-chan are warm."_

_Toya shuddered. Her voice sounded so far away. What was she doing? He hoped she stopped soon._

_Sakura hand lifted and reached forward like she was trying to grab something from the air._

_"Sakura-chan what are you doing?" his mom seemed worried and knew he was. Sakura didn't even blink. She started whispering under her breath. Murmuring words that he couldn't quite catch. His skin prickled._

_His mother used both her hands to gently turned her daughter face towards her own. "What are you doing?" she repeated. His mom looked more dismayed than he'd ever seen her. Did she too feel the foreboding that was creeping in light a late autumn after a forever summer._

_Sakura's outstretched hand flexed and she leaned forward a bit. What was she trying to reach?_

_"Sakura-chan what are you doing?" There was fear in his mother's voice. He felt afraid. He knew Sakura was doing something dangerous. Starting something perilous._

_Sakura's earlier frown had dissolved, but it was replaced with another. Her puzzled one. And then her worried one. She shivered again. Was she cold? It was the end of June, nearly July._

_Her small hand clenched like she'd just grabbed a string out of the air. He felt something, someone? She seemed like she was pulling something closer even though her arm remained out._

_"Sweetie, what do you see?"_

_"Far away." A hesitant, unsure smile settled on her face._

_"What's far away?"_

_Sakura's smile became more and more. She was glowingly with happiness. That presence._

_"What's far away, Sakura-chan?"_

_She didn't respond._

_'Hello.'_

_Toya jerked. He heard a voice. His mom didn't seem to notice, but Sakura did. "Hello," she said softly._

_"Sakura-chan, who are you talking to?"_

_'Where are you?' The voice was a boy's. A small one._

_"I'm here. I'll be waiting." Toya felt dread sink into him. Something bad was going to happen._

_"Waiting for what?" Toya knew his magic wasn't exactly like his mom's, but hers wasn't anything like Sakura's. And still she knew to be scared._

_"He's coming." Sakura intoned before blinking back into a sleepy expression. She looked up confused at her mother's concerned face. "Okaa-san are you alright?"_

_His mother quickly gave her a tight squeeze. "Of course. Are you?"_

_Sakura looked a her befuddled. "Of course for a moment I was very warm."_

_"Warm?"_

_Sakura smiled, but her smile was mysterious beyond her years and outside her intentions. "Like you and Otou-san."_

_His mother let out a weary sigh, but mentioned nothing of Sakura's weird behavior. "Well, time for bed."_

_But Sakura was already asleep on the couch._

"Like you and Otou-san."

_What did she mean by that?_

A knock on his office door brought him out of his revelry. "Come in."

Demon walked in without even a hello.

"So my dad tells me something was up with my sister before she left for outdoor class."

Li just nodded.

"Do you know what it was?"

He nodded again.

"Well?"

"It was a dream."

"Wouldn't the dreams of someone like Monster tend to be prophetic."

"Yes."

"What was the dream about?"

"She gets murdered."

"By who!?" Toya growled.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to let it happen." Totally not answering not his question.

Toya sent him a suspicious look. He didn't exactly distrust his words it was just he was pretty sure he was missing a very big piece of the puzzle. "Okay, you won't let it happen. Is there anything else you think I should know."

Li remained silent for minute before saying, "The tiger is sending someone. It doesn't really matter, but he will be dangerous."

"He doesn't matter, but he's dangerous?"

"It can't be helped."

"Seriously, can you answer a question normally?"

"I _can_ answer a question normally."

Toya heaved an annoyed sigh. "Anything else before you go?"

"Not really."

Li stood and had his hand on the door knob before Toya said, "Wait!"

"What?"

"What's that stuffed animal I've seen Sakura with? It has a strange aura."

"Oh, that's Kerberos. He's the Guardian Beast of the Seal. Anything else?"

"Uh, no."

Li was gone.

"The stuffed animal is alive?" What exactly was his sister caught up in?

* * *

A/N: So yeah. If you've noticed I've given the Clow Cards more human personality than they might have had in the show, but I figure they had a lot more exposure to humans in this story so they'd probably act more like them. So next chapter I'm going to introduce a villain. I'm so excited! Anyways bye.


	4. Conflict

A/N: Hey I was meaning to get this up by Saturday, but I was a little stuck. I think I maybe a little slower updating this story from now on, but I think I still be finished well before the end of the year. This chapter I actually rewrote the second half a couple times. I have another section from Fujitaka's point of view. I like his perspective. I was wondering if you guys think he's in character it's not like he's shown all that much in the anime or manga. Actually though I wonder how in character the other characters are. I know Li is off, but he supposed to be. If something isn't meshing with you I'd like to know. Also if you have any questions feel free to ask. I'll tell you something I'm sure LOL.

And eight reviews! I feel so loved. I appreciate them all. Thank you AngelEmCuti, vintageumbrella, Mrs. Radcliffe 13, Twilight Kisses, Demon of Selen, Kandygurl14, chainedheart999, and Taeniaea. Also thanks to all those putting my story on your alerts and favorite lists. It's all very encouraging. And thanks everyone who is reading this.

* * *

Fujitaka was not a religious man. He did not believe in one god or many for that matter. He believed in people. Groups of people leaving just enough of their life behind that even centuries later bits of their thoughts, beliefs and morals could be discovered. He believed in a person piloting their own fate and destiny. Humans had a certain strength to change the world in startling and subtle ways.

He had to wonder though what action sent a boy with a magical book to his daughter.

And hoped that wasn't the cause for his daughter's bone chilling screams the night before.

He made a western style breakfast and she was eating her eggs and bacon contently. She seemed happy, but she spoke not quite enough. Her smile was dimmer by half. Her eyes were just a little too fixed on the center of the plate like she was looking into a shadow of a nightmare that lingered even through the sun's awakening.

"Is Sakura-san alright this morning?" Fujitaka examined his daughter carefully. She was the same, but she was also so different. There was this strange feeling about her. It was like the smile of a person who saw you being born. His daughter knew of mysteries beyond his comprehension, but maybe she always had. And still she was his little girl that could trip on nothing and make friends with everybody.

"Of course, Otou-san."

"Do you want to come by to my work after school? I have something I want to show you," Fujitaka said excitedly because he hoped to take her mind off things and he was really excited about what he was working on.

"I have cheerleading practice. Can I come after that?"

Fujitaka smiled. "Of course, and have Syaoran-san come with you. I think he'd like to see it too and I need his help anyway."

"Can I bring Tomoyo-chan as well?"

"Yes, you can bring her."

"And are you going to remember to leave my name at the door this time? I didn't like being interrogated by that scary lady." Fujitaka chuckled remembering what happened the last time he invited her to his work. Higashiyama had been convinced Sakura was some sort of trouble maker, though, he wasn't sure how she'd gotten that impression from his sweet and kind daughter.

"Don't worry about Higashiyama-san. Syaoran-san has clearance and he'll get you and Tomoyo-san in without problems. I dare say Higashiyama-san and most everyone in my building is a little wary of him."

"Hoe! But Li-kun isn't _that_ scary. He's a really awesome person." Sakura started blushing. "I'm mean he's-Ano-Eto- Li-kun is a nice person." Sakura said hurriedly and obviously flustered. Fujitaka smiled at his daughter kindly.

"Hai, he is, but I don't think he's really making an effort to let a lot of people know."

"I guess that's right, but I think if he wanted he could be a lot more scary."

Fujitaka thought back to some of the discussions he'd had with the boy. Sakura was probably right. Syaoran probably could be _more_ terrifying, er, intimidating than he was presently. "I suppose you're right Sakura-san."

"Anyways, Otou-san I should go. I'm actually going to be on time today," Sakura said as the thought brightened her face. For the first time since she'd come down stairs it wasn't like a cloud was hanging over her. "I'll be off!"

Fujitaka listening to the familiar stomping of his daughter. She certainly managed to make a lot of noise for such a small, petite body. Maybe his son wasn't so wrong. "I'll see you after school!" he called to her and then he heard the door close. "Sakura-san, are you really alright?"

His daughter seemed so different for the last month. Sneaking around to catch Clow Cards. She didn't know the he knew. Syaoran was sure subtle. Letting both him and Toya know what was going on and leaving her in the dark about it. Syaoran sure seemed to be plotting something.

For whatever reason he got to know both him and Toya before introducing himself to Sakura and Fujitaka was sure he knew how to find her long before that. He wondered why he'd integrated himself into their lives like that. It was suspicious, but he didn't seem to mean any harm to them.

He didn't seem really to be doing anything. Hardly anything was happening if one discounted Sakura's recent nightmares which he didn't. These Clow Cards didn't seem to be too dangerous. He'd yet to see Sakura come home with a scratch.

"What are you doing Syaoran-san?" he mused aloud. What was that boy really trying to accomplish?

"I was waiting for you to notice me sitting across from you. I made myself a plate. I hope you don't mind." Fujitaka blinked. Syaoran was-was sitting across from him nonchalantly devouring eggs and bacon. "Good food."

Fujitaka looked at him beyond surprised. "How did you-"

Syaoran waved his chopsticks in a dismissive manner. "The front door was unlocked. Kinomoto-chan didn't see me as she skated by, but perhaps that was because I was sitting in a tree."

Fujitaka sweat dropped. Did he just miss something? The boy's _explanation_ left a lot to be desired. "Er, Syaoran-san, why were you in a tree?" _Seriously, why? Are you crazy?_

"I like sitting in trees. It relaxes me." Syaoran was finished with his food and had his arms folded on top of the table.

"Well." What did he say to that? Syaoran always seemed pretty relaxed anyway.

"Also I was waiting for your daughter to go by so we could talk."

That made much more sense. Fujitaka wondered why he hadn't said that in the first place. "Talk about what?"

"I just thought you should know that things will be more dangerous from now on."

Fujitaka's clenched his hands into fists. "Is it because of the nightmares Sakura-san has been having? They've been happening for the last few days."

Syaoran nodded. "Ultimately I suppose."

Fujitaka rested his head against his left hand propping it so he could examine the enigmatic boy before him. "Syaoran-san, why are you doing this? Why are you helping my daughter? Why didn't you just deliver the book and leave?" It was a good question. Fujitaka wasn't sure if he wished that was what had happened .

Syaoran's amber eyes grew solemn. "I told her it was because I think she'll be good for the cards. That's true, but sometimes I wonder Kinomoto-sensei. I've been delivering this book since I was three. I've done it all my life until now. I think I might not know what to do now that I've actually done it. Protecting her seemed like as good as an idea as any. I really don't want her to come to any harm." Fujitaka frowned at the boy who suddenly seemed almost lost. If he'd been delivering that book since he was three…

"You've been traveling since your were three? By yourself?!"

Syaoran laughed. "Not quite. When I was little people took care of me. I wasn't some three year old pickpocket living on the streets struggling to get by. Hopping into the backs of vehicles and the depths of cargo ships. Although I've done that, but I was much older. How dramatic and totally unrealistic would that be? I was quite sheltered until I left Hong Kong and even after for a while."

Fujitaka looked at him considering what he said. Syaoran did seem pretty well adjusted all things considered. He didn't seem like a street urchin. He just seemed like he'd had a very, very interesting life. "Syaoran-san, why did you become my assistant? You already knew where Sakura-san was. I told you where I lived that first day."

"Kniomoto-sensei you and your son have been protecting Kinomoto-chan her whole life. It would be downright pompous of me to come in a try to do the same thing without at least trying to keep you in the loop. It was your job first. I know you're polite and all. I've seen that a million times when you bump into that dragon lady-"

"You mean Higashiyama-san." Fujitaka couldn't help, but laugh at his description.

"Yes, the dragon lady. I've seen you politely inquire about her and her kids, God help them, and the weather, but I know that if I just came barging in here with a magical book you would not be so accommodating when I come into your office via sixth floor window or sit at this table uninvited or invited three times over."

Fujitaka waited for him to finish silently as he took a sip of his now cool coffee. And why did Syaoran still enter through the window he wondered.

"You may be nice to everyone, you may be friendly, but you're still a father and you have a right to know."

Fujitaka just stared at him. He still felt like there was something the boy wasn't telling him. "But?"

Syaoran's serious expression faded into a mischievous smile. "But I really have no problem being pompous, arrogant or rude. I became your assistant because I like you. Weird, huh?"

"And you just happened to like Toya-kun as well?" Fujitaka loved his son dearly, but he wasn't the most likeable person.

"Yeah. I know. I think that could have gone either way. But since I'm keeping boys from hitting on his little sister." Syaoran shrugged.

"He actually asked you to do that?" Toya was sure diligent and obsessed, but that wasn't such a bad idea. Fujitaka didn't exactly want his daughter to be hit on by droves of adolescent boys either.

"Yup. I find it amusing. I wonder how he'd react if I hit on her? I'm hoping the small friendship we have will buy me precious seconds to get away." Syaoran looked supremely unconcerned that Toya might one day be after his blood.

"You want to hit on my daughter?" Fujitaka tried to sound threatening, but he was a little disoriented. Why was the boy telling him this? He certainly hadn't asked.

"To tell you the truth Kinomoto-sensei. I've been flirting with her since I met her. We even had the whole get lost in each other's eyes moment. Although I think she was probably just startled."

"Syaoran-san why are you telling me this? You do realize you don't tell this to fathers. We tend to get irritated."

Syaoran shrugged. "I wanted to see how you'd react. Anyway I have some time to kill." And how exactly _had_ he reacted. He was feeling dazed.

"Don't you have to get to school?" The clock told him the Syaoran only had a few minutes and probably be late even if he left now.

"I was planning on being a little late. It'll make a more dramatic impression. Anyways Blue Boy is there so I'm not too worried. He's actually very powerful. More powerful than me in most situations."

Syaoran had told him he was a sorcerer, but not a very powerful one. That his talents laid elsewhere. He mentioned something about a sword or something. "You mean Hiiragizawa-kun?" Fujitaka hardly ever saw that boy, but he'd sure been quick to become Sakura's friend. Not surprising since Sakura was a very sweet girl.

"Yes, Blue Boy. He's very put off by my mysteriousness." It _could_ be very off putting sometimes.

"If I recall correctly he was pretty mysterious himself."

"Exactly." Syaoran fell silent and stared at his empty plate. Fujitaka was always a little unnerved when he just stopped talking and went hours without another word. It was even more disconcerting when he'd just been so chatty.

"So why haven't you told Sakura-san that me and Toya know about here _extra_ extra-curricular activities?"

"I figure the reason she's not telling you is so you won't worry, but I also figure you'll be less worried if you knew. So she gets to think you aren't worried about her, while you get to be _less_ worried since you know where she is and, to some extent, what she's doing."

"That's rather neat, but it's also very sneaky."

"Well if she ever asks me if you and your son know I'll tell her. I don't plan on hiding the truth. I'm just not going mention certain things unless I'm asked."

"If not asked will not tell policy, eh?"

"Pretty much." The clock chimed and Fujitaka realized Syaoran was officially late for school. "I think I'll be going now. I only want to be fashionably late." Syaoran took his plate into the kitchen and emerged 30 seconds later. Fujitaka hadn't moved and Syaoran paused by him on the way to the door. "Oh, and Kinomoto-sensei. Any other Lis hailing from Hong Kong are not here to help. I would just shut the door in their face if any come by. Glare at them if you see them. They are the enemy."

Syaoran quickly slipped and on his shoes and left.

"Lis hailing from Hong Kong?" Did that mean his family? Why was his family the enemy? "That boy can be quite befuddling." That boy. Boy. Why wasn't he in Hong Kong with his family? Why had he even been delivering that book? He's just a boy shouldn't he be doing something normal?

_"I think I might not know what to do now that I've actually done it." _

And what was it exactly that Syaoran considered dangerous?

* * *

Eriol glared at the door of the classroom. Why did it seem like lately he was always waiting for someone to come through it. First Sakura after she'd opened the Clow Book that his wayward descendant had _given_ her. He really wished he knew what that boy was up to. And now he was waiting for that blasted boy because yesterday something bad had blown into to Tomoeda and he wanted to ask him about it.

So of course he was nowhere to be found. Sakura was even on time. Eriol was sure Li Xiao Lang lived to aggravate him and others. He certainly did it enough. He managed to consistently even wear thin Sakura's good humor.

Class was about to begin and he could feel Kaho's presence getting stronger.

And with her was a presence that left his blood a little chill. He noticed Sakura sit up. She seemed to shiver. Whatever had blown into Tomoeda last night was on its way to the classroom.

The door opened and the class fell silent. Not just in deference to the teacher, but in anticipation because following Kaho to the front was a boy who looked strikingly similar to Li. The face wasn't exactly the same. The build was a little slighter. His eyes and hair were black, but he still looked a lot like the still absent boy.

"Today class we have another transfer student from Hong Kong." If Kaho had given him a warning when Li had come now her eyes were sending a full scale alarm. Danger, danger! "His name is Li Kuai Hu. Let's all treat him nicely."

Li Kuai Hu. Li. A Li from Hong Kong he thought it was most certain this boy and Li (they were both Li that'll be annoying) Li number one shared a familial resemblance. Li Two also had a cold demeanor, but where Li One's eyes were unreadable, the hate, malice and insanity were quite evident in Li Two's reptilian eyes.

Kaho directed him to sit on the other side of the room from him.

"But what about that empty seat next to the window Sensei?" Li Two was pointing to the seat behind Sakura. Sakura jumped a little. She looked terrified.

Kaho gave him an apologetic smile. "Someone already sits there. He's just late."

Li Two smiled, but it was far from understanding. Eriol felt like the temperature in the room was dropping and he saw with his extra senses a black mist hover about the room. It was spell to cloud people's minds and the boy sending an even stronger one a Kaho obviously aware she had magic. "But, Sensei, isn't it true that the early bird gets the worm. I want to sit there." He voice was kind like the Serpent' in the garden. It said 'don't worry you can trust me.'

Kaho shook her head. "I'm sorry, but someone already sits there." Eriol frowned. Kaho's voice sounded strange. He could feel her alarm, but he didn't no what to do. He couldn't use magic in front of people not that secrecy was stopping Li Two. He looked around and noticed everyone, but Sakura was in a trance. And Sakura was shaking. He didn't blame her there was something seriously off about this guy.

The classroom door open sharply sending a loud thwack through the room. The whole class jumped. Li One walked into the classroom casually like he hadn't just opened the door with unnecessary force. "Sorry, I'm late Mizuki-sensei. I was sitting in a tree and then I had breakfast." Li's words had the effect of snapping everyone back to reality with there everydayness, well they were a little strange, and Eriol thought it wasn't the best explanation. He was still glad he'd showed up though.

Li Two glared at him. "I wanted to sit in the seat by the window. Would you consider trading me?"

But the new boy was ignored. Li One just sat down like he hadn't heard anything.

"I said I would like to know if you wanted to trade seats," Li Two said his voice very chill. He was sending a spell towards the boy in the corner, but said boy seemed unaffected.

Li One turned to him. "Sorry. I like the view too much. I guess you'll have to deal," he said with his normal mask. His was scowl firmly in place, but his eyes were much colder than Eriol had ever seen them. They said 'sit down somewhere else or I'll make you.'

"Oh, I see. That's no problem." Li Two stiffly walked to the seat Kaho had originally directed him to. He sat down calmly enough, but Eriol could see his dirty purple aura simmer sulkily. He wasn't happy.

The student around them seemed to lean away from him and avoid eye contact.

And Seiju High had thought Li Syaoran was scary. God help them.

* * *

Tomoyo was very worried by the time Sakura, Eriol, Li and her sat down around a table outside despite the chilly autumn weather. October had just started, but she could already feel winter coming. "Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

Sakura let out a shaky breath. "The new boy is very terrifying." Sakura listlessly picked at he lunch, not eating anything. Tomoyo saw a shadow fall on them.

"I'm very sorry to hear that, _Sakura-chan_." The voice was cold and left Tomoyo shivering.

Tomoyo nearly screamed when she looked up to find Li, well the new Li, standing not two feet away. "H-Hello, Li-san," she murmured scared, but then Li, their Li, was standing in front of her blocking those cold, cold eyes. She didn't think she'd ever been more afraid.

"Who are you?" the boy demanded obviously annoyed.

"Li Syaoran." From Li's tone he could have been saying your executioner. "I'm from Hong Kong."

"I'm Li Kuai Hu and you're obviously from The Clan. Why are you helping that girl? She's a sorry excuse for a Card Mistress."

"None of your business. I don't really care to answer questions from sub-humans like you."

"Hmm, well you know, cousin, I was just planning on killing her real quick because it's the most efficient way, but," the boy cackled insanely, "I think I'll wait until the Final Judgment. It'll be more exciting. Not to mention more satisfying, but that still leaves you. You annoy me. I think I'll kill you very soon. Tonight perhaps." Tomoyo shivered. What was this boy talking about? How could he talk about death so casually.

"Go away."

"Oh, you don't like that huh? Don't like it when I threaten your little girlfriend. That's why you're helping her. You want to get in her-" Kuai Hu inhaled sharply as an even shaper sword was being pressed very closely to the underside of his chin. Where had Li gotten that sword?

"Listen, _cousin_, I suggest you leave now. It would be a shame if I had to hurt _family_." Li's voice and his strategically positioned sword told Kuai Hu he wouldn't like the consequences of not leaving.

"Heh. I'm going to figure out who you are and what your deal is, but until then I'm sure we'll get along splendidly. It'll be a scream." Kuai Hu carefully raised himself up and off the sword point before heading back into the school building.

The four of them sat in and awkward pause until Eriol carefully cleared his throat. "Li, who was he?"

Li frowned obviously not in a good mood. "An idiot." Tomoyo caught herself grinning. That was such a Li answer. "He's the enemy," he said eventually after Eriol continued to look unsatisfied with his initial response.

"He didn't know you were going to be here," Eriol said flatly.

"Nope." Li seemed a little happier now that he could bait Eriol like normal. "I just do all sorts of unexpected things. Maybe _I_ don't even know why I do them."

"Li-kun, does he really want to kill us?" Sakura said glumly. Tomoyo felt bad for her friend. Sakura would feel bad that someone hated her so much for seemingly no reason.

"What he wants is irrelevant. He won't kill either of us," Li assured her quickly and sounding a little grumpy. Perhaps irked. Tomoyo smiled to herself when her friend seemed to relax immensely after hearing his words. Oh, her dear little Sakura-chan. She was so cute. "He is inconsequential."

Tomoyo frowned thoughtfully at Li. He obviously considered his, er, relative a threat, but also clearly dismissed him. It was rather peculiar.

Sakura seemed puzzled too because she examined the boy in front of her with careful eyes. She seemed to come to some sort of satisfactory conclusion though and she shrugged. "Ne, Li-kun, Otou-san wants you to take me and Tomoyo-chan to his office after school. He wants to show us something." She turned to Eriol. "I'm sure you're welcome to come too, Eriol-kun."

Eriol shook his head. "I have business I must attend to."

Sakura seemed temporarily at a loss, but eventually gave him a hesitant smile. "I hope that works out then. Tomoyo-chan you can come right?"

Tomoyo nodded.

"Aren't you going to ask if I can go?" Li teased her. Everyone there knew he would go.

Sakura gave him a coy smile. "I put a spell on you so I figure you _have_ to come. I don't need to ask," Sakura informed him with a sassy smile that almost hid her slight blush. Tomoyo thought it was amusing how Sakura had started responding to Li's flirtations with more calm. She actually left him speechless a few times.

Li laughed and he looked the most at ease he had all day. "You are correct. I was wondering when you'd figure it out."

"Hoe!" Sakura said completely losing her cool. "What are you talking about?"

"You know," he said nodding.

"The thing is, Li-kun, I don't."

"If you say so, Kinomoto-chan."

Later after school during cheerleading practice Tomoyo saw Li walk by her as she filmed Sakura. Curious as to where he was heading she followed him. After a while she found herself in the wooded are behind the school.

"Oi, I need to talk to you!"

Tomoyo started, but quickly realized he wasn't talking to her.

The wind picked up and swirled around her.

"I think you should challenge her today. It'll be easier if she has an element on her side," he said to no one, but the wind almost seemed to respond to his words.

"No. He will be taken care of, but for now it is safer to just leave him be."

Tomoyo frowned. It sounded like he was talking about the new transfer student, but who exactly was he talking to.

"Yes, before _that._"

The wind whipped up some of the dead leaves already littering the ground. As it rushed by the yellow-orange-reddening trees an eerie sound of protest filled the sir.

"I can't allow it to happen. She doesn't need me to help you. I won't be changing my mind."

The wind left. There was the only way to describe the abrupt lack of movement in the clearing.

"Windy, can be quite the drama queen, ne, Daidoji-chan?"

Tomoyo blinked rapidly when she realized he had turned around and was looking at her calmly. Waiting for her to say something. "Uh," she said most articulately.

"Indeed," he said his eyes twinkling. "I knew you were behind me, but I figured, I'm not exactly hiding anything."

"You're not?" Because from where she stood Li was hiding a whole hell of a lot.

"No. I'm not actively stopping any of you from finding out. I'm just not telling."

Tomoyo decided Li was even more complex than she'd originally believed. "Who were you talking to?"

"Windy. She controls the wind."

"What were you talking about just now?"

"What do you think I was talking about? I wonder if you know. You're very observant I've noticed." Tomoyo felt like she'd just been handled a puzzled and told to solve it, but she felt like she had more to lose than just a failed crossword.

"You said 'she' doesn't need you. 'She' is Sakura-chan, yes?"

"Correct. She doesn't need me. She's well beyond it even if she doesn't know."

"When you were talking it seemed like you know what's going to happen."

Li shrugged. "To a certain extent I suppose. I can't see the future."

"Is everything really going to be alright?"

"Kinomoto-chan will be fine."

"Will _you_ be fine?"

"Aren't you full of questions?" he commented sardonically, but she noticed how he did _not_ answer her question.

"I know what her new nightmare is about."

Li just looked at her. She was reminded of a time when she'd looked into the eyes of a lion at the zoo. His eyes hadn't been looking for freedom since it hadn't ever known it, but they still held that look of wanting to be free. Wanting to be free even if that concept wasn't firmly grasped.

"I think I know what you're planning."

He remained still. His eyes followed her words intently.

"I just think you should consider that everyone is entitled to be selfish."

"Selfish?"

"Yes, to want things even though they don't _need_ them, even if they know, or they _think_, it's wrong."

Li looked her hard for along moment. She wondered how a lion held in captivity all its life would confront that wide African savannas for the first time. "Daidoji-chan I don't intend to be selfish concerning this matter." There was no give in his words. They were firm, unyielding.

Tomoyo smiled at him. "Well, have you considered that maybe _she_ would be selfish. She also has a choice. You _both_ have a choice. Don't forget that, Li-kun."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said bluntly and with a little anger.

"I find that hard to believe, Li-kun."

They didn't exchange another word as they walked back to wait for Sakura to finish her practice.

* * *

"It's awfully windy all of a sudden," Sakura observed puzzled. The wind was rushing around them. Her hair was flying into her eyes and moth. "It wasn't before."

Tomoyo who was walking to her left just smiled. "Indeed it is Sakura-chan. Don't you think so, Li-kun?"

Li was walking in front of them and just shrugged. Sakura felt that he was acting a little strange, but really he was always a little odd.

The wind started to blow even harder. It felt like it was trying to pick her up and carry her away.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked to her side to find Tomoyo wasn't there, but below her. The wind _was_ lifting her up into the air. Higher and higher she went until Tomoyo and Li were just dots.

"_Hello, Kinomoto-sama."_

"Uh, that's a little much, the 'sama'. I'm not really that special."

"_Modest too, I see. I am Windy. I control the winds._"

"Er, nice to meet you." Sakura felt awkward because there was no face for her to look at. _It's like I'm talking to myself._

"_I've been waiting to meet you for a long time._"

"That's cool." Windy seemed nice, but Sakura felt like she was walking into a trap.

"_So did you know that wind has eyes and ears everywhere?_"

"Not really." The line of questioning seemed ominous somehow.

"_It's true. I know lots of things._"

"Okay." Why was she feeling so nervous?

"_Aren't you going to ask what it is I know?_"

"I guess I could. What is it you know?"

The wind whispered in her ear and she felt her face getting hotter and her cheeks turning rosy.

"Hoe!" _I'm so embarrassed._ It wasn't fair to tease her when she 15 stories off the ground.

"_Kinomoto-sama is very fun to tease. I like you. Good Luck._"

Sakura could feel the cheeky smile in her voice. What did she mean by good luck?

It was then that Sakura realized she was falling. "Hoe!!"

_What do I do? What do I do? I can't fly!_ She paused in her manic thoughts. Actually she _could _fly. Quickly she summoned her wand and called Fly. She managed stop her descent just two stories from impact. "That was close," she said in a voice barely shook.

"_Well done._"

"Windy-san, you dropped me!"

Windy's laugh was like the first breeze of spring and blew around her. "_You were never in any danger._"

"Forgive me if I have to disagree. Why did you do that?"

"_I wanted to see if you could think fast, especially after being flustered._"

"That's why you said that-"

"_Yes, but also because it was fun._"

"Hoe!"

Stunned Sakura absent mindedly flew down to the ground where Tomoyo and Li were. Windy materialized before her and bowed. "_We shall have lots of fun I think, Kinomoto-sama."_

"I'm glad you think so. Return to the guise you were meant to be in! Clow Card!" Windy quickly flowed into a card and floated to Sakura's hand. "Phew."

"That was amazing Sakura-chan. Too bad I didn't film it!" Tomoyo was practically dancing with excitement.

"Uh, yeah, too bad." Sakura was kind of glad she hadn't been filmed. She found it embarrassing.

"How cute," a cold voice drawled from behind them. "Sakura-chan is just so adorable."

Sakura spun around to find Kuai Hu sitting in a nearby tree. "You!"

"Yes, how kind of you to notice, Sakura-chan."

"Don't call me that!" Sakura was angry, but she was also afraid. She got really bad vibes from the new kid.

"What do you want?" Li was standing in front her and Tomoyo glaring up at the boy.

"Nothing really Cousin. Just thought I'd say 'hi.' I was going to capture Windy, but Sakura-chan captured it faster than I thought. It seems the cards are going easy on her. I wonder why. Do you know Cousin?"

"You should crawl back to Hong Kong. You don't belong here."

"And you do? What exactly are you doing here Cousin? What are you hoping to accomplish?"

"You will leave here defeated."

Kuai Hu started laughing. "Defeated? Cousin, I'm much stronger than you and the new Card Mistress isn't even worth mentioning."

Sakura felt his words tear into her. She wasn't even worth mentioning? It hurt to be dismissed so easily.

"Yes. You are a more powerful sorcerer than me, but you are still going to fail. It's only a matter of time." Li crossed his arms and looked incredibly bored.

"Cousin, you're not making much sense. You admit your weakness in the same breath you predict my defeat. Are you crazy?" Kuai Hu quarter turned his head to the side, his eyes gleamed with madness.

"Go away. You said you're after the cards, but there are none available here. So go. There's no point in unnecessary and unpleasant encounters."

"Oooh, don't you sound tough, but you know Li Xiao Lang, I made a few calls and I know who you are. You disappeared when you were three, a month shy of four. You've been gone. It's very curious, don't you think?"

"No."

"You like to talk don't you? I can tell."

Li just remained silent. Sakura looked nervously between the two. She wished Kuai Hu would just leave. His aura gave her a headache.

"Heh. Well. The love I'm feeling from you is overwhelming. I was going to kill you tonight, but I think I'll wait. Wouldn't it be more fun if I killed your little girlfriend first? I think that would be more fun. What do you think, Xiao Lang? Cousin? Buddy?"

"I think you're a fool. Go away."

Kuai Hu pouted. "You're no fun. 'No' and 'Go away'. No passion or emotion. Where is that sword from earlier? It's like your ice."

Li turned around. "Let's go. You're father is waiting." Sakura cast a nervous glance to grinning boy in the tree. She nodded hesitantly. She was reluctant to turn her back on him. "Don't worry. I'll take the back. Besides he's not going to follow us."

Fifteen minutes later they were finally on a bus getting closer to her dad's work. Sakura felt relieved, but also a little dejected. Kuai Hu obviously considered her about as dangerous as slug. "He's wrong."

Sakura looked up at Li startled. He was looking at her solemnly. "But he said he was more powerful than you."

Li snorted. "So? I'm not a very powerful sorcerer. _You_ are very powerful. That's just one reason why he's an idiot."

"Everyone with sense knows Sakura-chan is most amazing and can do anything," Tomoyo said taking one of her hands.

"Uh, thanks you guys. I feel much better." She smiled as she looked out the window. The sun rays glinted off the frame and sparked a question in her. "Ne, Li-kun? Where do you keep your sword?"

"I carry with me always." Sakura shared a confused look with Tomoyo. There was simply nowhere Li could be hiding his sword and it had disappeared as fast as it'd come at lunch.

"Um, it's not that I don't believe you, but, like, where?" Seriously that thing had been around four feet long. It wouldn't fit in his book bag.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Where is your sword?"

"You want to know where my sword is?"

"Yeah." When asked her that question he made it sound silly.

"With me."

"With you?" Was she missing something?

He nodded. "Yes, with me."

"But where?" Where was he storing it?

"I told you. With me. Where else would it be?" He sounded confused at this point.

"Li-kun! You never make sense." Honestly she never seemed to know what he was talking about. It felt like he told her quite a bit, it was just she didn't know enough in the first place to decode what the words meant.

"I'm always hearing that."

"Because you are _always_ not making sense."

"Oh, is that how it is?"

"Yes!"

Li started laughing.

"But that still doesn't explain where your sword is," Sakura mumbled. Tomoyo nodded beside her.

"Maybe it folds up," Tomoyo offered sounding very doubtful.

"Yeah, sure. Maybe," Sakura agreed sounding just as unsure.

* * *

"Kinomoto-chan, you're not worried about the dragon lady are you? Because trust me, I can deal with her." Li was looking decidedly amused as he studied her, propped lazily against a lamp post. "Just think of me as your white knight."

"I'm not _scared_ of her exactly." _She just terrifies me._ Sakura decided not to even comment on the white knight thing.

"Well good. Follow me ladies." Li lazily walked up the steps to the building. Him and the guard exchanged nods and they were in the building without incident. Although the guard looked like he was a little alarmed. The lobby felt pleasantly warm after the chilly autumn air.

"Oh, I see you've decided to use the door today." The voice was high and whiny and belonged to scary, er, scary (damn she's not!) woman that was the receptionist in her father's main building.

The woman's comment seemed to be directed at Li since she was glaring at him unveiled contempt. Li shrugged. "I was bringing guests, but you know, I think we could still use the window."

What was he talking about? Use the window?

"No, _Li-san_," she sounded like she wanted to say something much ruder, "I insist that today you use the door and sign in. Like all employees are _supposed_ to. It will be the second time you have ever technically been in this building." It was obvious this woman was very vexed by Li.

Li just bowed to her. "Well, since you asked so nicely, how can I refuse?" His voice was indifferent, but Sakura could tell he found the situation humorous. He quickly walked up to the reception desk and signed in she assumed.

"And what about your visitors?" The woman's voice was grating at her nerves. That woman _knew_ who she was. Why was she being so difficult?

"They've been requested by Kinomoto-sensei. He works here. I believe you've met."

"Yes, I know who he is."

"Well, then I'm sure you'll have no problem with me escorting these two ladies to his office. Don't worry if they break anything they will be asked to leave." Li turned to her and Tomoyo. "Ladies?" he offered them both an arm.

Sakura couldn't stop herself from giggling and neither could Tomoyo. They all linked arms and started out of the lobby towards the hallway on the left. "Li-san, those girls need to sign in!"

"Sorry I can't hear you, Higashiyama-_sama_!" Li said loudly which caused more than just Sakura and Tomoyo to burst into laughter. "You'll have to roar louder!" They probably made a strange sight. Cold, stoic Li linking arms with two giggling girls.

When they reached the elevator they did actually hear something that sounded eerily like a roar.

Once they were safely inside the elevator and Li had pressed the 6 button he smiled at them. He leaned down like he was confided a secret with them. "She's pretty fun to rile up, ne?"

Sakura happily nodded in agreement. This latest encounter was much better than the last thanks to him. Halfway down the hall they stopped in front of a door. Without knocking Li swung open the door saying, "Oi! Kinomoto-sensei, look who I brought!"

Sakura saw her father jump a little as she and Tomoyo filed into the room. "Er, Syaoran-san. I see you used the door."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" First the scary lady, and that woman they'd passed in the hall had mentioned it and now her father.

Her father smiled at her ruefully. "Well, you see Sakura-san, he normally uses the window."

"But isn't your office on the six floor?" Tomoyo asked sounding confused.

"Believe me I know, but he says its faster."

"It _is_ faster," Li said with a knowing smirk. Sakura sweat dropped. He would use the window.

"Scared me the first couple of times, but it's actually alarming for him to use the door now."

"Uh, well," Sakura really didn't know how to respond to that. Her father seemed to have adapted well to Li's oddities.

"Anyway I have something to show you." Fujitaka started spreading out pages of pictures and indecipherable writing on them. "This is something we just recently found sealed in a stone box. It's a legend referring to king I've never heard. At least I think so. They don't actually mention him by name which is strange. The emission of his name seems deliberate."

Sakura examined the pictures. In many a figure was draped in dark colors and had sinister smile on his face. There was also a very sad looking man who seemed to be surrounded in yellow. There were depictions of what looked like mass executions and rivers of tears. Sakura shivered. "What's this story supposed to be about?"

Her dad shrugged and smiled at her. "I'm not really sure. My command of hieroglyphics could be better. I mostly just know the basics so I can read warnings of traps and curses. That's why I wanted Syaoran-san to come. I figured he could read it."

"Li-kun, you can read hieroglyphics!" Sakura was impressed. "How did you learn them?"

"From friends." His answer hid as much as it revealed probably more. His amber eyes gleamed with secrets untold.

"Friends?" How many people had friends that could teach them hieroglyphics?

"Well, they thought I should learn to read them after I learned Ancient Egyptian."

"Hoe?" That made everything _so_ much clearer.

"Syaoran-san, can be very confusing, ne, Sakura-san?" Sakura looked at her father. His words struck her as strange. Sometimes it felt like her father knew more than he let on.

"Hai."

"Although one has to wonder with a the circles he talks in if he ever gets dizzy, ne, Kinomoto-sensei?" Tomoyo asked curiously a odd smirk curving her lips. It was suspicious.

Tomoyo and her father laughed. Sakura was confused. She slid a glance a Li. He was impossible to read, but he didn't seem to get the joke either.

After letting out a happy sigh her father turned to Li. "So can you translate this story?"

Li shrugged. "I could, but I already know it. I've heard it many times."

Fujitaka's smile faltered. "Oh, I see, well, that's rather interesting. I was sure this story has been lost for several centuries if not much longer. Iwate-san already read some of it and said he'd never heard of anything like it. He's spent half his life in Egypt."

"I'm sure most people have never heard of it." Li was leaning against a book case with his arms crossed. "It probably _has_ been lost for over a millennium."

Outside noises filtered in through the cracked window, but none of the rooms occupants made a sound. "How is it you know it then, Syaoran-san?" Her dad was looking a Li like he was complicated jigsaw puzzle, but Sakura couldn't help but feel half the pieces were missing if they'd even come in the box.

Li smiled. "Friends."

Friends. Who were these friends? "Ne, Li-kun, do you want to tell us the story?"

"I guess it couldn't hurt. It isn't very happy though," he warned. They all looked at him expectantly. "Long ago, in a land of deserts and kings who communed with the gods, a sorcerer was born. His name was Bakari. He was kind and just man and praised by all. He preformed miracles for nobles and commoners. It was said he could see the future and even shape it. The pharaoh at the time heard of him one day and called Bakari before him and demanded that he serve him. Bakari declined and the pharaoh let him go. Or least he appeared to. That night Bakari was captured by sorcerers trained in the dark arts all hired by the pharaoh. They were able to surprise Bakari and subdue him sealing his powers away so he couldn't use them unless they allowed it. He was then brought before the pharaoh again where he was told that he would serve him or people of Egypt would suffer. The pharaoh was cruel and had no qualms with committing genocide and Bakari knew this. The king demanded Bakari create a tool that his sorcerers could use to attack neighboring countries. Bakari desperate to save his friends and family and the people in his beloved country did. The pharaoh used it to completely wipe out neighboring nations. He also used to hold his people in a strangle hold of fear. Eventually Bakari died of heartbreak and regret and the pharaoh seemed to almost live forever, but finally died. Egypt once again rejoiced the rising of the sun and the tool was lost."

"That is sad," Sakura said softly. It was strange, but the story almost seemed familiar. It was like recognizing a melancholy melody on the radio.

Li just nodded. "Though it is said that the tool as long it existed would be used to wreak havoc on the world. That price Bakari paid for his people's relative safety was the lives of countless innocents to come."

"Li-kun, does that mean you think that this tool is still terrorizing the world today. Wouldn't we know if that many people were dying?" Sakura was alarmed. The story was _really_ not happy.

"In a world so large it is easy to be unclear of how many people there _should _be, but you know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think in the right hands this tool could do incredible good. A tool reflects the heart of its user after all. Don't you think, Kinomoto-chan?" Li had walked closer to her and leaned down. He was looking straight into her eyes and it felt like her was telling her a secret. Maybe more than one.

"Hoe?"

Li stepped back and laughed. "Yes, of course! Nothing less!"

"Thank you for telling us the story Syaoran-san." Her dad was sending an exasperated and irritated look at Li. "Although I've noticed every time you explain something the subject matter only becomes more murky. I'd be wary of karma. You're due to be very confused someday soon I'd say."

Li looked warily at her father. "Karma you say?"

Tomoyo clapped her hands with glee. "A confused Li-kun would be most entertaining to film. And if Sakura-chan could be confused as well I could film them both being that way. It would very cute I think."

Sakura laughed nervously. Why did she have to be confused as well? It wasn't like she went around saying weird things that were impossible to understand. Tomoyo's eyes were that certain shade that told Sakura she was in full daydream mode. Sakura sweat dropped.

_"A tool reflects the heart of its user."_

The world's secrets were whispered wind tickling at her ears. As she watched Tomoyo daydream and her father smile she felt the future unfolding outside the window. The winds of change were blowing. Li looked at her with eyes that told no stories.

She wondered why he still entered through the window and carried his sword with him always.

And she wondered why a part of her was terrified while the other part was eerily calm.

"_The past holds many secrets. Some are painful._"

Why had windy whispered that before disappearing into card form?

A cold wind from the north slipped in through the window.

Li stood up and closed it.

* * *

A/N: This ending seems kind of abrupt to me, but also kind of like it this way. I'm sorry there wasn't a whole lot of obvious conflict, but the whole overriding conflict of the story was addressed and alluded to all throughout the chapter. Lot's of hints. I wonder what Windy whispered in Sakura's ear way up in the sky? Lol. She's one of my favorite cards. The next chapter is more exciting action wise. There will be blood! lol

Also sorry about the confusion when refering to the two different Lis. Hopefully the characters will become less confused and their references will be less spastic. I mean them, not me. I know what's going.grins


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